Ford SVT Cobra

SVT Cobra at a glance

The SVT Cobra is part of the long Ford Mustang line. On 1CARS it counts as a muscle car of the comeback years before the modern revival.

1993: the last Fox-body Cobra

The first SVT Cobra used a 302 cu in (4.9 l) "5.0" V8 with GT-40 cylinder heads, rated at 175 kW (235 hp) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft). Road & Track measured 0–60 mph in 5.9 seconds and a quarter mile of 14.5 seconds at 98 mph. Ford built 4,993 Cobras in black, Vibrant Red or teal, and 107 Cobra R race-ready cars, all in Vibrant Red. In 1993 the hatchback cost US$18,505 and the Cobra R US$25,692 (1993).

1994–1998: SN95 Cobras, from 5.0 to 4.6

The new SN95 Mustang of 1994 brought a coupé and a convertible. The Cobra's 5.0 now produced up to 179 kW (240 hp); Ford claimed 0–60 mph in 6.3 seconds and 225 km/h (140 mph). Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords timed a coupé at 5.7 seconds to 60 mph and 13.87 seconds over the quarter mile. A convertible paced the 1994 Indianapolis 500, and Ford built 1,000 replicas.

For 1995 the Cobra R returned with a modified 5.8-litre Windsor V8 of 224 kW (300 hp); 250 were built, and Steeda notes that buyers needed a competition licence or a race team. In 1996 the Cobra switched to the 4.6-litre modular V8 with four valves per cylinder and an aluminium block cast by Teksid in Italy. It was rated at 227 kW (305 hp) and 407 Nm (300 lb-ft). Car and Driver timed it at 5.4 seconds to 60 mph in December 1995.

1999–2001: New Edge, IRS and the power recall

The facelifted 1999 Cobra introduced independent rear suspension, the first in a production Mustang; every Cobra up to 2004 kept it. Ford claimed 239 kW (320 hp) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft), but owners and dyno tests found about 213 kW (285 hp), and the cars were slower than the 1998 model. On 6 August 1999 Ford stopped sales of unsold 1999 Cobras and recalled sold ones. It changed the intake manifold, parts of the engine electronics and the exhaust to reach the claimed output. Ford built 4,040 coupés and 4,055 convertibles that year.

There was no regular Cobra for 2000. Instead SVT built 300 Cobra R models with a 5.4-litre DOHC V8 of 287 kW (385 hp) and 522 Nm (385 lb-ft), a Getrag six-speed and Brembo brakes, for US$54,995 in 2000. Its rated top speed was 285 km/h (177 mph).

The 2001 Cobra returned with the 239 kW engine; 3,867 coupés and 3,384 convertibles were made. Its block now came from Ford's Windsor Aluminum Plant instead of Teksid, a change Wikipedia describes as a weaker casting. For 2002 Ford built no regular Cobra; about 100 cars were partly built in the US and finished in Australia by Ford Tickford Experience.

2003–2004: the supercharged "Terminator"

The SVT team called the last Cobra "Terminator". A cast-iron block replaced the aluminium one, and an Eaton M112 Roots-type supercharger with 8 psi of boost raised output to 291 kW (390 hp) and 529 Nm (390 lb-ft). A Tremec T-56 six-speed manual was standard. SVT's own test gave 0–60 mph in 4.5 seconds and 12.67 seconds at 110.11 mph over the quarter mile, with top speed limited to 246 km/h (153 mph).

In 2003 SVT built 8,394 coupés and 5,082 convertibles, 13,476 cars, the best year of the Cobra. In 2004 output fell to 3,768 coupés and 1,896 convertibles. The 2004 Mystichrome Cobra, with colour-shifting paint, was made 1,010 times: 515 coupés and 495 convertibles. Motor1 reported a stock 2003 Cobra with 2,476 miles making 276 kW (370 hp) and 515 Nm at the wheels, which suggests Ford's rating was conservative.

Engines and performance

Platform, dimensions and safety

Every SVT Cobra has a front engine and rear-wheel drive. From 1994 the car used Ford's Fox-4 platform and was built at Dearborn Assembly in Michigan. The wheelbase stayed at 2,573 mm (101.3 in) for the whole period; Wikipedia gives these body dimensions for the Mustang coupé of the same years:

From 1994 every Mustang had dual front airbags and three-point belts as standard. The 1994–1995 Cobra received its own shock absorbers, struts and springs, and the 2003–2004 Terminator better-bolstered seats with angle-adjustable head restraints. By our calculation, specific output rose from about 36 kW per litre for the 1993 5.0 to 63 kW per litre for the supercharged 4.6, an increase of about three-quarters in ten years. Cobra years can be checked against each other on our comparison page.

SVT Cobra buying guide

• 1999 cars: make sure the recall work was done; an untouched 1999 car will not reach the rated 239 kW.
• Engine blocks: 1996–1999 cars have the Teksid aluminium block, 2001 cars the Windsor Aluminum Plant block, 2003–2004 cars a cast-iron block.
• Missing years: a "2000 Cobra" that is not one of the 300 Cobra Rs, or a 2002 US Cobra, needs close scrutiny.
• Rare versions: the 1993 Cobra R (107), 1995 Cobra R (250), 2000 Cobra R (300), the 1994 pace car replica (1,000) and the 2004 Mystichrome (1,010) are documented editions.
• Terminator originality: the supercharged engine responds strongly to bolt-on parts; Mustang Specs shows a 2004 car with a few modifications making about 373 kW (500 hp), so check whether a car is still stock.

No dated market values for the SVT Cobra were found in the sources.