Ugh... Makes me sick.

[ZStanger]

Well the GT base is $26,900. Thats about what I expected.

The Current 2004 Cobra's Base is $34k. The Convertible = $38k.

The '06 Cobra thoughts worry me... I hope it sticks to the affordable High-Performance status it has acquired lately. I mean... 2004 Mystichrome Package has the Cobra up over $41k. I sure hope the '06 doesn't go above that. I don't even care if it has more horsepower (390 Stock is plenty for me... and that motor accepts mods very well. I read this magazine that put $3,240 worth of mods into the 2003 Cobra, and made 502 HP.. ) I just hope it doesn't enter the Supercar/Exotic Status Due to its power and handling. With a Supercar/Exotic thought... The price goes right up with it.

American Muscle is about having the most bang for the buck. I'd rather mod my car than to have it come Super fast from the factory. The only people that buy those (Z06, Viper, Ferrari, Lambo, GT40, Shelby Cobra) are the richie-riches that don't want to get their hands dirty. All the power is right there, readily available at a pricetag of $60k+. I don't want to see The SVT Mustang get up there.

[/rant]

 

[GelatiCruiser]

I think they're going to go the more expensive route with the Kebra in '06. I'm convinced that Ford wants a car to compete with the Corvette. It'll be tought ot plop 500 hp into a car and keep it under 40K.

 

[Rootus]

I think Ford is going to put the same drivetrain in the '06 Cobra that is in the '03/04. Perhaps a very slight bump in power, but I would expect to see a supercharged 4.6L 4V with T-56 tranny. Drivetrain development takes time, and I don't see them tossing the 03/04 Cobra setup after only two years. I also think that bumping the horsepower to 500 and raising the price to match will mean the end of the Cobra, because that would price it right out of the target audience (the 03/04 Cobra already comes close to doing exactly this).

Dave

 

[MrBobMarley]

I think Ford is going to put the same drivetrain in the '06 Cobra that is in the '03/04. Perhaps a very slight bump in power, but I would expect to see a supercharged 4.6L 4V with T-56 tranny. Drivetrain development takes time, and I don't see them tossing the 03/04 Cobra setup after only two years. I also think that bumping the horsepower to 500 and raising the price to match will mean the end of the Cobra, because that would price it right out of the target audience (the 03/04 Cobra already comes close to doing exactly this).

My thoughts exactly. Besides, we all know the aftermarket is where to find more horsepower. If Ford rolls the 03 engine over to the new cobra, I have no beef with that. The 03 cobra was a hit, and has made a solid name for itself both stock and modified. I can't wait to see how the 05/06 cars handle the terminator block.

 

[Omegalock]

I'd have a beef with them considering they said they wanted to put the 4.6 liter on the parts shelf and do something new with the new Cobra.

 

[shatner saves]

I think Ford is going to put the same drivetrain in the '06 Cobra that is in the '03/04. Perhaps a very slight bump in power, but I would expect to see a supercharged 4.6L 4V with T-56 tranny. Drivetrain development takes time, and I don't see them tossing the 03/04 Cobra setup after only two years. I also think that bumping the horsepower to 500 and raising the price to match will mean the end of the Cobra, because that would price it right out of the target audience (the 03/04 Cobra already comes close to doing exactly this).

Dave

Ford did develop a new engine for the GT(40). Among other things, it has a unique engine block. I thought it might be the basis for the current 4.6l in the '05 but it looks like the 4.6 has a one piece cast aluminim lower end (the crankcase is split at the crank centerline) and the GT motor has deeper skirts and 6 bolt mains.

Aside from the dry sump, wouldn't it cost the same as the current blown cobra engine?

And yes, I know the Ford GT is 150k.

 

[Steve-o]

Yeah, hopefully Cobras will not get too terribly expensive.....there are already enough '03's left over in dealer's stock

 

[golf4283]

I dont understand how you guys can expect a cobra with 500 horsepower. I mean i know that the horsepower war is getting bigger. But 500 horses from a mustang stock??? i just dont see it happening. I will be surprised if the cobra has anyhing over 425. It just seems that the muscle and pony car are the class right below supercar. Once you make cobras have 500 horspeower its just stupid. I would love to see it as much as the next guy. but think realistically here. ford wouldnt knock their 150k ford GT and have it get spanked by a 40k mustang.

 

[351CJ]

I think Ford is going to put the same drivetrain in the '06 Cobra that is in the '03/04. Dave

John Colletti - head of SVT - has already said that the next SVT Cobra WILL NOT use the 4.6L SOHC SC engine form the 03 - 04. He has also hinted that the next SVT Cobra WILL have 500 HP and it may be a version of the 5.4 SC engine from the Ford GT.

Colletti said that the -03 - 04 SVT Cobra engine "Has been put on the shelf - for Ford to use in other cars" So you could see a non SVT 06 Mustang with that engine.

Look at it this way for the 2005+ Mustang models.

V6 - 200 HP
GT - 300 HP
Special model, like a Shelby, Boss or something like that 400 HP
SVT Cobra 500 HP.

 

[(&)]

Ford would be wise to keep the price well under that of the Corvette, because the Mustang was never meant to compete with the Vette, and it would be laughable for Ford to even try. If they want to make it faster in a straight line, fine, but if they're going to charge $40k+ for it, they should know that the performance-minded buyer with that much money is a little too sophisticated to spend that much on a drag car. The Corvette has the whole package. Even the best Mustang has compromises. I know which one I'd choose in that price bracket.

 

[Omegalock]

I dont understand how you guys can expect a cobra with 500 horsepower. I mean i know that the horsepower war is getting bigger. But 500 horses from a mustang stock??? i just dont see it happening. I will be surprised if the cobra has anyhing over 425. It just seems that the muscle and pony car are the class right below supercar. Once you make cobras have 500 horspeower its just stupid. I would love to see it as much as the next guy. but think realistically here. ford wouldnt knock their 150k ford GT and have it get spanked by a 40k mustang.

1)The GT is going away soon so it won't really matter.
2)The people that would buy a GT could give a Rat's butt whether a Cobra is as fast in a straight line as the GT. Which it probably won't be considering it'll likely be heavier.
3)The Mustang still probably won't handle near as well as the GT. The two cars appeal to two totally different markets. A 500 horsepower Mustang would effect the sales of the GT very negliabely.

 

[PonyGrl420]

Ford dose need somthing to compeat with the vette..but it shouldent be the Cobra. If anything it should be a saleen, their prices can already get up around a vette. Hell IMO ford still needs somthing to compeat with the f-bodys, the mustangs hp and performance still dosent compeat, and even though they arnt making them anymore they are still around and can be had for reltivaly cheap. Ford would be utterly stupid if they raised the price of the new cobra that much. The 03/04 Corbra are great performers and have a lot of bang for the buck, if the new cobra got to be that much people would run right to the 03/04's

 

[351CJ]

I think you guys are missing something here.

SVT has clearly said that with the new SVT Mustang (Cobra?) they are going M3 hunting. We also have to consider that even if SVT can top M3 performance (both straight line and cornering), the SVT Mustang has to be priced lower than an M3, because it is the challenger. So I'd look for a 2006 SVT that will still be below $40K for the coupe version and have close to 500 HP & IRS. The SVT model should also compete reasonably well with the Corvette.

We also know that at some time in the future there is going to be some sort of special edition Mustang. It could be a GT-350, GT-500, Boss or whatever. The 2005 GT will come close to the 2003-4 Mach 1 in straight line performance and kill the Mach 1 in the corners, the new 2006- 2007 special edition will have to be considerably faster than the 03-04 Mach 1.

I'm also going to guess that the new special edition Mustang will be priced $5K more than the GT Premium ($32K) and it will have close to 400 HP. It will probably some version of the 03-04 Cobra SC 4.6, but it could have a SC 3 valve, a 351 V10 or something we don't even know about yet. My money would be on the 03-04 Cobra engine as it would be the lowest cost way to do it just like the 03-4 Mach 1 used the previous SVT Cobra engine.

 

[shatner saves]

It always seemed a little wierd to me that Ford would tool up a new engine for the GT when it is such a low production vehicle. If it's reliable, it only makes sense that it would find it's way into other higher volume vehicles. If the current GT has 300hp, what's so unbelievable about 450+ in the cobra?

And I think a 500 hp cobra would be quite special.

I'd be able to afford one about 10 years after I'm dead.

 

[Rootus]

John Colletti - head of SVT - has already said that the next SVT Cobra WILL NOT use the 4.6L SOHC SC engine form the 03 - 04. He has also hinted that the next SVT Cobra WILL have 500 HP and it may be a version of the 5.4 SC engine from the Ford GT.

And J Mays announced that there will be a 300 bhp Mustang in 2005 for under $20k. Doesn't mean it's actually going to happen.

Ford has traditionally followed a conservative line with the Mustangs, nothing really wild. And that strategy has worked well. The first real departure from normal was the '03 Cobra, which produced a car with remarkable performance. And there are still quite a pile of them on the lots, brand new, going for significantly less than MSRP. So I think Ford would be wise to avoid that stunt again, on an even grander scale, with the 2006. If they price it where the current '03/04 Cobra is, then I think they'll sell quite a lot of them. Make it a $45k car, though, and no amount of horsepower will make it a good seller. People with that kind of money to spend will be looking for more than raw horsepower, and it's hard to make a car that starts at $17k into a car worthy of $45k. The competition in that area is pretty serious, and Mustang just doesn't have the name right now to command that kind of price tag.

Just my opinion. In a way I hope you're right, and there is a 500 bhp Mustang Cobra in 2006. But I also hope you're wrong -- because I think a 400 bhp Cobra with the new chassis & IRS would be ideal, and I would buy one in an instant. But not for $45k, even if it had 1000 bhp.

Dave

 

[Ron Jeremy]

The Cobra is not going to cost $40,000 at all. I beleive that the horsepower is going to be between 400HP and 425HP and will cost around $32,000 to $36,000 at the most. You people in here who think that the new 2006 Mustang Cobra is going to have 500HP are dreaming. Keep dreaming. Ford will not build a 500HP Mustang Cobra anytime soon. If it does, the price is going to skyrocket up like a 14" inch hard-on. I suggest that you dreamers in here get more realistic about price and horsepower with the 2006 Mustang Cobra. Sure most of you here wouldn't mind having a 500HP Mustang Cobra, but you don't want to pay $40,000+ for one either. It's ridiculous. And it's also stupid.

 

[Rootus]

Holy crap! It appears Ron Jeremy and I agree on something. I didn't expect that to happen .

Dave

 

[Omegalock]

Whoa wait a sec....when did Ford say they were gonna compete with the M3? First time I'm hearing that one.

 

[351CJ]

And J Mays announced that there will be a 300 bhp Mustang in 2005 for under $20k. Doesn't mean it's actually going to happen.

Dave

Sometimes I really wonder why I waste my time here.

There is a huge difference between J. Mays making a mistake in the heat of the exitement at NAIAS and John Colletti telling a reporter in an interview that the M3 is the design target of the next SVT Mustang Cobra. But I guess some of you can't quite grasp the difference.

 

[351CJ]

Whoa wait a sec....when did Ford say they were gonna compete with the M3? First time I'm hearing that one.

Several places. It was first said in one or more of the many articles (Detroit Free Press, Automotive News, Autoweek, etc.) when Ford announced that it was re-shaping SVT - dropping the Focus SVT, not having a SVT Mustang for 2005, etc. Those articles all said that SVT is moving upscale.

2nd place. was in Feb C&D - Phil Martens comments:

......we have to have a Cobra that is world class level. The old Fox platform couldn't deliver that; this one can. - Expect a bigger broader separation between Mustang GTs and SVT Cobras, he says (Martens). BMW's M cars are serving as inspiration ......... Also likely; A substantial increase from the current Cobras 390 HP. Ford has set no firm price ceiling, Marten says. The only restriction is that you have to build it on the Mustang line (production line) and the quality is there.

I keep trying to tell you guys where the SVT Cobra is headed, but you apparantly don't want to hear it. But as I also said, you can expect a special edition Mustang to fill in the gap between the GT & SVT. Sorry if I've just blown anyone's dreams of owning a 2006 SVT Cobra, but reality can be a tough pill to swallow.