2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500

[slideways...]

really... how much does an 03 cobra cost? for that matter how much does the car(00 cobra R) it raced against cost?
the cobra R and elise were chosen because their price was basically the same

and no, live axle wont add .5 sec. no way

when FWD drag cars started using wheelie bars, that didnt even add .5 seconds, and that was with 400+hp lightweight cars.

the cobra R is just as much of a race car as the elise. your telling me that an SVT created cobra that had different parts than almost any other mustang wasnt created to be a race car?
all the options you talk about are just weight, and youd think the 185 hp and 250ftlb advantage would offset this...

[broddie50]

The elise ways about 1800 pounds from what I've heard... so yeah, it should carve corners, and have a great power to weight ratio. But it costs nearly 50,000 U.S. to get one. For all that "BRITISH CHARM", you would think that you would get a little civility... Well, if you can deal with a little "my alternator belt is slipping" noise, you can get a pretty bad ass car for under 40k (not including the ginormous mark up). As I understand it, there are plenty of WRX STI and EVO 8 MR people ready to take on the p4p title.

[Filthy Sanchez]

Originally Posted by slideways...

sorry but i like using my steering wheel

I'm with you on that one.

[duplox]

Originally Posted by slideways...

really... how much does an 03 cobra cost? for that matter how much does the car(00 cobra R) it raced against cost?
the cobra R and elise were chosen because their price was basically the same

and no, live axle wont add .5 sec. no way

when FWD drag cars started using wheelie bars, that didnt even add .5 seconds, and that was with 400+hp lightweight cars.

the cobra R is just as much of a race car as the elise. your telling me that an SVT created cobra that had different parts than almost any other mustang wasnt created to be a race car?
all the options you talk about are just weight, and youd think the 185 hp and 250ftlb advantage would offset this...

I thought the thread was about the 2007 cobra? How much power did the cobra R have? I don't think it was over 450, and the 2007 cobra is said to have 460hp. Yes the cobra R is a full out race car and around the same price. Cobra R also used the old chassis. The new chassis is gobs better than the old. I'll bet the 2007 competes very well against a Elise and have many more creature comforts than the elise.

'03 cobra was $33,460 base price.

Wheelie bars on a FWD? Its a fwd, it doesn't belong dragging in the first place. Wheelie bars in a FWD basically are there to try to keep weight transfer to the rear wheels to a minimum. Again, have you ever seen one launch? Its pretty ugly. And there is no doubt that a lot of people who buy a 450+hp rwd car are going to be drag racing it, even if its from stoplights. 60 foot times in drag racing are very important.. if you can't launch the car, you aren't going to run anywhere near what the car is capable of.
No question a live axle belongs in these cars. A small, even negligable difference in handling versus much better drag racing abilities, its a no brainer.

There is a definate advantage to live axles in drag racing. Big dollar, no limits nitro drag cars use a live axle, not because its cheaper. It is very very difficult to engineer a IRS system that will provide good anti-squat and keep the tires straight up and down. On a live axle you don't have to worry about tire angles, and anti squat is very easy to achieve. A decent 4 link or traction bars on leaf springs will do that.
The only IRS I'd be interested in on a car such as the cobra would be a De Dion tube type. Its a blend of independant and live. Basically the wheels are attached to each other with a solid tube, this keeps them straight up and down. The differential is attached to the frame, and half shafts connect the diff to the wheels. With this setup you can put a nice 4 link setup to control the tires, but have less unsprung weight, which is the main advantage of a IRS.

With IRS in a drag car, if the rear end of the car squats or lifts, the camber will change in the rear wheels. Anything other than straight up and down will lessen traction. With 450hp, there is no doubt that the rear of the car will move a good ammount.

[Jaguar D-Type]

I've heard that there will be more high performance Mustangs besides the 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500. Perhaps a lighter GT350 will be made.

[drunken monkey]

how much the camber changes depends on the set-up.
depending on your location points and springs, double wishbones do a good job of keeping the camber pretty much the same over bumps.

[BlackGT2000]

Just thought I could set some info straight. The 2000 Cobra R was the best handling mustang ever...when it was produced. It no longer is. The IRS was revised in 03 with stronger half shafts and its got a lot less play in it and dosn't hop as much around corners anymore. The cobra R was a race car though. It had NO AC, NO Radio, a full size spare, side exhaust, a rear differential cooler, brake cooling ducts, NO back seat and the first 6 speed in a mustang. Hell the manual has racing instructions in it. The 03 cobra could run a faster quartermile and was easier to upgrade, it also had a full interior. All in all I think the 03 cobra was a better package seeing how it was priced in the mid 30000 dollar range, while the R was 55000. Anyone who says that IRS is just as good for drag racing, is just plain wrong theres nothing more to it than that. Same thing goes for anyone who assumes that a live axel = bad handling, is also wrong. I have driven an 03 cobra and its awesome, I sat in but wasn't allowed to drive a 2000 Cobra R, I looked at all the manuals and took pictures and everything of me sitting in it, It was cool but kind of sparse for me. I have also sat in the 05 GT (can't test drive it yet because they are all sold from the factory) but just sitting in it is nice. Its a completely different car and is fast already. The new cobra sets new standards and really has no direct competition. I personally think that this is a good thing and that Ford is thinking ahead. People always complain about the "big 3" making the same cars and marketing them directly at each other, I think its great that there is a car thats really different than anything else really out there right now. People looking for a Vette will buy a vette, people looking for a Cobra will buy a cobra, and people looking for a GTO will buy......either a Cobra or a vette haha. So take it for what its worth but the new cobra has an IRS but is not set up for drag racing. This is a well rounded car with massive power, that can easily be upgraded. This is a step forward for the american muscle car.

[BlackGT2000]

Also on a side note, I would rather compare other cars to the new cobra or even the 03 cobra than the 2000 Cobra R, that comparison is rediculous. Nobody is really going to buy one because there were only 300 made anyway and they are almost all in collectors hands. You have a better chance running into a skyline in america than getting caught at a redlight next to a 2000 Cobra R in america, haha. If you want to comare a factory mustang thats a striped down race version, compare the new FR500C thats racing in the grand am races. Its pricey but it comes straight off the production line ready for the race with a 440 HP NA 5.0 liter DOHC engine. I am sure there are more produced than the limited 300 Cobra R's in 2000.

[Filthy Sanchez]

Originally Posted by Jaguar D-Type

I've heard that there will be more high performance Mustangs besides the 2007 Ford Shelby Cobra GT500. Perhaps a lighter GT350 will be made.

Don't know about a GT350, but there will be a Bullit, a Mach 1, and possibly a Boss variant.

[Muscletang]

I talked to my dad and he knew several guys that raced at a local track while he was in the Air Force. The guys that raced Corvettes kept breaking their IRS rear ends. Why? They COULDN'T HANDLE THE POWER and would break.

The guys though that had live axels couldn't go around the corners as fast but guess what, their rear ends didn't break.

As I said before, if you want a high tech rear end then be prepared to pay. NASCAR uses IRS and the rear ends cost as much as the cars we're talking about. They've very high tech and can handle as much power as most stree live axels.

I thought I'd also throw this in about the Cobra R. Car and Driver or Motortrend test a Cobra R and the thing topped out at 170 in 5th gear. The thing is said to top out at over 200 in 6th but the front end will flip the car over if it goes over 180.

[mustangmann9]

i wish they brought back the 428 cobra jet

[broddie50]

A KR 500 with 7.0 litres of displacement, low compression, with a KB blower... now that would kick the devil in its ass. I'm dreaming right now, but hey... With the Shelby and ZO6, the horsepower wars are in there golden age. Not to mention all the AMG and M series cars that have been made. How could I forget about the 1000 hp Carrera GT's? Or the 2000 hp Vipers? If the have the money to spend, you can have any of these. It's all about what your prefrence is. My two cents...

[Filthy Sanchez]

Originally Posted by broddie50

A KR 500 with 7.0 litres of displacement, low compression, with a KB blower... now that would kick the devil in its ass. I'm dreaming right now, but hey... With the Shelby and ZO6, the horsepower wars are in there golden age. Not to mention all the AMG and M series cars that have been made. How could I forget about the 1000 hp Carrera GT's? Or the 2000 hp Vipers? If the have the money to spend, you can have any of these. It's all about what your prefrence is. My two cents...

That'd be cool. Hey as I said in an earlier post, I didn't think there'd ever be a day when I'd see a NEW Shelby Mustang, or Boss, Mach1 etc. I didn't think they makem look like the originals either. I thought the GTO was dead forever, the 427 Vette would forever be legend, two seat Tbirds an urban legend, and the Charger gone for good. Not only are all those things here now, Chrysler is suppose to be bringing back the Challenger! All is OK with the world, oh wait GM cancelled the rebirth of the Camaro, oh well we're close to OK.

I think a KR Shelby would kick ass!

[ghostx]

Originally Posted by Filthy Sanchez

Don't know about a GT350, but there will be a Bullit, a Mach 1, and possibly a Boss variant.

oh really? I think what we need is a GT350. Just to fill the gap between the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500. Priced right around 35k, it should have the GT500's design with a 5.0L producing anywhere from 375-400hp.
What are your sources for news on a Bullit and Mach 1?

[Filthy Sanchez]

Originally Posted by ghostx

oh really? I think what we need is a GT350. Just to fill the gap between the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500. Priced right around 35k, it should have the GT500's design with a 5.0L producing anywhere from 375-400hp.
What are your sources for news on a Bullit and Mach 1?

Motor Trend August 2005. Goes into more detail about the upcoming Bullitt, and briefly talks of a Mach 1. Also says Ford has been talking to the Shinoda family about possibly bringing back the BOSS. I think a GT350 is a good idea as well, I think as you said 5.0 (4.6 stroked) to about 400hp.