The snake den's newest sibling.
Written: Oct 19 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Reliability: |
 |
|
| Seat Comfort: |
 |
|
| Build Quality |
|
|
|
Pros: Tomahawk missile-like acceleration, glued-to-road handling, best all around package.
Cons: Quirky shifter, fake side scoops, too fast for one's own driving record.
The Bottom Line: Bottom line, best all around American sports car on the road for 2003.
|
|
|
| dregilley's Full Review: 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra |
This cobra is the second of this particular breed that I've owned, the first being a 2001 Cobra Convertible. My initial reaction when I saw the reveal of this car is wow... The statistics alone are mind boggling, for any car. 390 Horsepower (underrated by Ford intentionally, realistic figures are somewhere around 381 at the rear wheels and 415-25 at the flywheel), 390 foot pounds of torque, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, 1/4 mile time between 12.5 and 12.9, all OUT OF THE BOX. Finally, an auto maker took the drawing board out of the engineering room in the basement and took it out the enthusiasts that are actually buying and driving the car and said "OK guys, what should we do next"?
From the beginning, you go in knowing that you're getting a frighteningly fast car, but the deal just keeps getting better. As you sit down inside the car, you noticed the snake-badged two tone leather/suede seats, the electroluminescent instrument cluster, Mach 460 6 disc in-dash CD player, and the coveted 6 speed Tremec T-56 6 speed manual transmission (shared by the Cobra's arch nemesis...the Dodge Viper). The front seats are VERY comfortable for a sports coupe, strongly bolstered, yet still supportive and soft. The driver's seat is power, with adjustments to the height, angle, pitch, side bolster, rear-end bolster, lumbar support, etc. The backseat is small, as is to be expected in this breed of car (most cars that can compete from a performance standpoint don’t even HAVE a backseat, so my theory is be glad I have one at all).
Popping the hood of the vehicle reveals a beautifully trimmed 32 valve Dual OverHead Cam 4.6 litre (281 ci) American V8. A small metal plate will grab the eye of anyone looking at an SVT engine for the first time, as each engine is hand-signed (engraved) by the two man team that built them. Mounted proudly atop the large American V8 is an Eaton Roots-type supercharger, capable of 8 pounds of boost from the factory. The engine has been modified from its aluminum block cousin that was in the 1999 and 2001 cobra. The new engine block is cast iron, to increase strength for the added stress created by the supercharger. The compression ratio has also been reduced, again, to accommodate the forced induction.
After the typical male rush of testosterone (not a sexist comment, have seen plenty of ladies sporting Cobras as well as gentlemen), I closed the hood and took a tour around the outside of the car to gauge it's styling. The hood has been modified from the previous hood, both to add room for the blower, and, with the addition of (finally!) functional hood vents, to vent hot air from the engine compartment. The front fascia has been modified, with more open areas to allow cool air to pass into the engine compartment to facilitate better engine cooling and venting of the massive front disc brakes. Along-side the vehicle, Ford has changed the rocker panel trim slightly, and the side scoops (unfortunately not functional) have been modified from the 1999-2001 run. The rear of the '03 is very different, with a much cleaner look than its predecessors, and it's own siblings in the Mustang corral. The spoiler is now more integrated into the body (reminiscent of the spoilers on the BMW M-series cars). The tunnel-like large tail pipes make themselves very visible, as does the Badging naming this Mustang the head of the SVT pack. Minor tweaks such as spoilers on the windshield wipers (making them functional up to a frightening 130 miles per hour), body color-keyed break away mirrors, and the restyled fascia set this snake apart from the others in the SVT cobra den.
Now that I had investigated all that I could about the car with it motionless, it was time to wake the beast up for a little stretching of the legs. Immediately upon ignition, the car makes its intentions known with that typical American V8 burble, turning every head within 300 feet. After playing with the shifter, I decided it was time to set out on this little adventure. As I pulled out into the highway, I noticed how mild-mannered this "supercar" seemed to be as I drove it into afternoon traffic. This car could very easily be slated into a comparison with Clark Kent / Superman. With a light foot on the throttle, its not jerky or hard to control in the least. It was when I decided to put my foot into the floorboard that the car underwent a metamorphosis. The "Boost" needle went full tilt to 8 PSI, the tachometer started its screaming climb to 6500 RPMs, and I was firmly planted, goofy grin and all, to the back of my seat. WOW! As I shifted into second at about 6000 RPMs, the whole cataclysmic process repeated itself. Approaching 6300 RPMs this time, I noticed...OH MY GOD, I am in second gear, going 73 miles an hour, in just a bit shy of 6 seconds! Deciding that I wanted to keep my privilege to drive, (I was in a 55 zone!), I backed off the accelerator and shifted into third, giving my internal organs a moment to catch up to my body. I got on the interstate and repeated the jet-like acceleration, up to about 100MPH and back down. Ok, now I don't just THINK the car is fast, I KNOW it is. Lateral acceleration, however, is just one part of the equation that makes a great sports car. What goes up must come down. Once I made sure I was in the clear with cars around me, a firm stomp on the brakes brought the massive 13 inch front Brembo rotors to life...and as expected, in true Cobra fashion, the car stopped on a dime and handed over 9 and 1/2 cents change. Ok, that’s two parts of the equation passed with flying colors, it can accelerate like a tomahawk missile and stop like it had reverse thrusters...but can it handle anything less inviting than Interstate 75? I took the car to the road that my house is off of, in rural Paulding County, Georgia. The road is a blast for a driving enthusiast, two 90 degree curves, and soft slopes that turn halfway down a hill, etc. I made one run at a normal pace just to get a feel for the car. The second run etched an image of the car driving around on tires lined with double-sticky tape. This car is glued to the road. Pushing it near its limits will illicit a bit of a happy rear end in hard cornering, which is to be expected and is welcomed as long as the driver is as capable about handling it as the car is doing it. The handling is brilliant, with many welcome tweaks to the suspension in 2003. The body roll is very minimal, as the body feels more rigid than did my 2001. On the open highway, the ride is as nice as to be expected in a car with the handling capabilities of this vehicle (if you want a smooth ride, opt for the same base engine in the Mercury Marauder, this is, after all, a supercar). Wet traction is also above average, with help of the car's Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and the standard traction control. I do at times find it easier just to reach down into the endless pool of torque and start out lazily in second gear in heavy rain to eliminate any rear wheel slippage. The ABS system on the car is very advanced, and even in panic braking in wet conditions, the car comes to a very confident stop. I have yet to experience it in snowy weather, but I am hoping that this car will have to experience very little of it with me residing in Georgia. The steering is firm and responsive, as is the clutch/shifting engagement (though the shifter can be a bit quirky at times). The clutch does take some getting used to, as one person that I let drive the car put it "you'll have the legs of a linebacker after driving this thing every day." All in all, one couldn’t ask for a better balance of ride quality and handling ability in a better package.
That basically sums up each of the individual parts that are required to make up a good sports car. Tallying all of the scores, the Cobra is simple an achievement on the part of the Ford Special Vehicles Team. The Cobra unfortunately lost its competition from GM this year, with their F-body cars no longer being produced after 2003 (Authors note: the 2003 Cobra is faster than any F-body GM offered in 2002 *snicker*). The price on this car at its release was $34,750 (though many dealers across the country are price gouging it, anywhere from 1000 dollars over sticker to 10,000 in areas where the car is hard to get.) I absolutely refused to pay a dime over sticker, and finally found an honest dealership here in Atlanta that was selling the car for the same sticker it got onto their lot with. The price tag on this car is a true steal, considering the next rival to this car is the Corvette Z06 (the two vehicles are truly not in the same class, but as the 2003 Cobra is faster and more powerful than the stock C5 Corvette, the Z06 is its most-loved comparison in the GM/Ford war that’s been raging since the 60's). The base price tag on the Z06 is in the neighborhood of $51,000. For comparison's sake, a 1300 dollar investment into modifications will put the Cobra to a performance level of 500+ Rear Wheel Horsepower (not that this author would every encourage the modification of such a beautiful automobile). Calling the 2003 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra anything less than a supercar would be underselling it dramatically. The 2003 holds the title of being the most powerful (5 more advertised horsepower than the 2000 Cobra-R) Mustang to roll out of the Ford plant, and it carries the honor with flying colors. The Mustang platform is going to be retired for the 2005 model year in favor of a modified version of the Jaguar X-type and Lincoln LS platform, code-named DEW-lite. One can only wait in stitches to see what kind of work of art the guys at Ford's Special Vehicles Team will produce on that platform.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 34,750
Condition: New
Model and Options: 2003 SVT Mustang Cobra Coupe
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dregilley
|
|
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.