about to buy a new car.. im working with about 30k which gives me the option for a 2003 svt cobra or a 2006 mustang gt. i already drove an 06 gt and its pretty impressive and the interior is much higher quality. Never drove the svt cobra but ive seen enough pictures to know it like the back of my hand. stock times for the two are:
2003 SVT Cobra 0-60: 4.5........1/4mile: 12.9
2006 Mustang GT 0-60: 5.1.......1/4 mile: 13.5
both are great cars in my opinion.. but what would you go with?
(car will have to be a daily driver but i dont drive that far anyway.. usually 20-30 miles a day)
the 06 will be new with a warranty
the SVT is already 3 years old --- how was it driven ? maintained ?
what one will have the lower insurance rate ? Better MPG ? Maintenance cost of used compaired to new
The SVT will in the long term hold a better value being a limited production car / how long was you planning on keeping this car ?
what body style do you prefer . The 06 has a larger interior space .
well this is all I can think of for now . Everybody else .............thoughts
I myself would go with the 03 svt cobra . more braging rights
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1998 3.8 mustang , orange , cobra hood , wings west body kit , clear diamond cut head lights - side lights , GT fog lights , H pipe - new GT exhaust , CAI , UDP
Cobra, accept no substitutes. I have one, no regrets. They are easy to come by with low mileage and all the mods you would do are already done plus you'll have money left over unlike the new GT.
I would go with cobra also. It has a DOHC 4.6L with a supercharger. You can replace the pulley on the s/c and gain another 75hp. Also the Cobra comes with forged internals meaning you can do some work on it if you want to down the road. Plus It is a Cobra!!! The king of mustangs. You could also look into a stage 3 roush mustang. just like a cobra, but roush products.
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2001 Mustang GT (Auto) - Check out my Profile
2005 Dodge Ram Quad Cab (Thunderroad)
I've been seeing 2004 Cobras going for under $30k, so don't limit yourself to the 2003's. A model to consider would be the 10th anniversary optioned cars, which are relatively rare, though still out there. Long term, these cars will be more collectable than their cohorts.
As for comparing the cars, remember these points:
1. As soon as you drive the new 2006 off the lot, you just took a $5000 bath in depreciation. The Cobras have just about stopped depreciating, and those that are in primo shape have actually started APPRECIATING over the last 6 months or so (I can prove this - I've been watching it happen, and one day I will complain about not pulling the trigger on that $21,500 2003 Cobra convertible with 18,000 miles on it that I passed up last year...).
2. The Terminators (if not driven to death and properly maintained) will be one of those rare cars that will depreciate hardly at all, while giving you a lot of fun and service.
3. The "stock" performance numbers for the Terminators are bogus. Throw a pulley change, a dyno tune and an air filter on there and you're looking at close to 500hp. Trying to achieve that with the 3 valve will cost you a ton of money, and at the end of the day, the forged internals and 4 valves of the Cobra will outlive your stressed-out 3 valve.
4. The 2006 cars are bigger, heavier, and more expensive to modify (should that be your path) than the 99-04 models. This is going to be the case for AT LEAST the next 5 years, and will include virtually any part you want to put on the car.
5. Your choice of modificaitons for the 06 is less diverse than what you have to choose from for the Cobra, though this is rapidly changing. Still, you might think about what you WANT to do with either car, and check out the costs of any major mods you will be doing.
Either way, great choices. If you plan to drive the car to death, you will probably find better, long term service from the 06. If you can avoid flogging your car through urban rush hour twice a day, the Cobra is the way to go.
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tripleblack
"You can never be free until you let yourself go."
gotta go with the cobra. u have all the reasons that were listed and the fact that its a cobra. when ur telling people about ur new car and u say 'oh yeah i got a mustang.' and then u hear...'oh yeah what kind?' and then u say 'gt' people will be like 'oh sweet...but u should have gone for a cobra' but when u tell people that u got a cobra theyll be like 'whoa badass can i see it? drive it? go for a ride? how much hp? how fast is it?' and in my opinion the 99-04 body style is much better looking than the 05's ...but thats just me. be sure to let us hear all about whichever car u decide to go with...im interested either way!!!
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1999 V6 Coupe -- Mods
True Dual Exhaust with SLP mufflers
CAI, custom ram air
42% Underdrive Pullies
17 inch chrome Cobra rims wrapped in Falken Ziex ZE-512 tires
Black 8" Shorty Antenna (my favorite mod...haha)
Well I might as well be the first on the thread to say go with the 06 GT! Nothing like owning a new car and being its original owner. With the 06 its YOUR car, no one else has driven it and you can take the pleasure in breaking it in and ordering it the way you want and you will know that the car hasn't been abused. You just never know how the previous owner has treated the car, and given it's a Cobra he probably hasn't babied it.
Also, sit in an 03 Cobra, then take a seat in an 06 (with leather and IUP of course) and tell me which is a nicer place to be. The fit and finish on older Mustangs is just horrid. I had an 03 and the gaps in the plastics were ridiculous (not to mention the quality) and then airbag cover on the passenger side was always sticking out. And, I know this is a matter of a opinion, but I think the design of the S197 is wayy superior to the 99-04 design, incl the Cobra.
So about performance then.. Yes the Cobra is fast, faster than a new GT and as someone noted can be easily modded to produce even more power. However, the new GT isn't exactly a pushover, 0-60 in 5 seconds and a 13.5 1/4 mile will put a smile on your face. Not to mention there is a huge aftermarket for the S197. So what if the Cobra ends up being faster in the end, all of the aforementioned reasons not to get the Cobra negate the speed/performance factor in my opinion. But if ALL you care about is performance then get the Cobra.
06 GT gets my vote :thumbsup
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2006 GT Coupe, black w/ red leather, IUP, 5spd manual, 18" Bullitts, Stage 3 Motorsports louvers, Custom 12" shorty antenna
Bigger brakes, independent rear, 6 speed T56 trans, forged internals (you can take that pup to 5, 6, 7, 800 HP with good tuning). You'd have to build a motor for the 06, and you'll probably be tempted to wait for the warranty to finish before really modding it.
Best looking Mustang, almost as good as the '05's. A beasty!
Cobra man.
Chris
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14.81 @ 93 stock 16's. Eibach springs, Flowmaster Catback, pulleys, Unequal GT40P headers, BBK o/r H-pipe, C&L MAS housing less screen, stock airbox w/ K/N and custom ram-air, stock timing, ported MAS sensor hole to .402" dia
If you get the Cobra, place some subframe connectors that chasis has a lot of flex. The S197 is an awesome platform and for me, it would look at the quality of the ride and build rather than the performance out of the box. Yeah sure the Cobra is a Cobra and is faster, but the S197 has the looks to kill. You can always mod the S197 later if you like. There are guys here with NOS systems and they are in the 12s or even faster cheap! I think in road racing the S197 is a much better car also, there is a car right now that is doing well on the Grand Am circuit and they are using them on the Drifter scene also with good results. If your set on the Cobra, i would wait till they take a big hit when the hype is over with the GT500 and you can probably pick one up really cheap. I've seen 03s in the low 20's already and they will take a hit when the GT500 craze is gone esp when the GT500 king of the road edition comes out. I drove the 99-04s and the 05-06 mustangs is just a different animal!
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2006 Deluxe GT 5 Spd Manual Tungsen Grey with black painted stripes, 20 x 10 konig beyonds, kw V3 coil over kit, BMR Chomoly Panhard rod, BMR Boxed Subrames, BMR Upper Strut, BMR lower control arms, BMR Upper Control Arm, Eibach Sway bars, Prothane Eurethane bushing kit. Bassani cat back.w/ x-pipe + hi flow cats, Roush Rear Spoiler, Street Scene Body kit,Street scene grille, 3D carbon louvers, HID system, Raptor Shiftlight with Speed of sound pillar guage, C&L with Preditor 91 Custom Tune
1. Assuming the money is equal doesn't really work. Its not - the 06 will set you back about $5,000 more, plus you'll have to pay sales tax, whereas the used car can usually be had wihtout sales tax. Another cost is the certainty that the GT will depreciate 10% of its value as soon as you put even a few miles on her, whereas the Cobra is currently going UP just a little. By the time both cars have, say, 15,000 miles on them, the GT will be worth quite a bit less than the Cobra.
2. Street performance comparisons: No comparison. The stock GT simply can't compete with the Terminator, and no scenario where you add the same amount of money to each car will shift the balance of power. The Cobra wins every time, and will actually gain a LOT more than the GT from the same dollar investment in mods. The motor will also tolerate the modificaitons better, because you are starting with a much stronger bottom end, better breathing heads, etc.
3. Ocassional road racing comparisons: Level playing field. The new gen stang has the better front suspension - the Cobra has the better rear suspension (irs will handle better than the 3 link every time), better brakes, etc. Again, adding mods will be cheaper on the Cobra, and yield more gains dollar for dollar.
4. 1/4 or 1/8 mile comparisons: Edge to the Cobra, so long as the comparison is cars under 500 rwhp. Over this power level, the Cobra will need a swap to a solid axle, at which point it will have lost its road race advantage and some of its price advantage, and you will have damaged its resale value as well. If you need a streetable quarterhorse, though, its key to remember how heavy the 197's are. Are you really going to strip out the interior, gut the dash, etc, on a new car (or a Cobra, for that metter)? For the huge majority of us, getting really serious in the 1/4 means an older stang, not a low mileage Cobra or brand new 06.
5. Street cred: Cobra. The new GT is a pretty face (I personally prefer the 99-04 stangs for looks), but nothing gets instant respect like the SVT Cobra.
6. Where will you be twenty years from now? A low mileage, pristine 05 or 06 GT will be worth a nice piece of change, considering that there were over 100,000 of them made. A similar Terminator will be rare as hens teeth, and commanding Shelby prices. If you're smart, Barret-Jackson will auciton it for you for major bucks (BJ will send you a polite refusal letter if you try to get them to sell your GT).
Truth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sincitystang
If you get the Cobra, place some subframe connectors that chasis has a lot of flex. The S197 is an awesome platform and for me, it would look at the quality of the ride and build rather than the performance out of the box. Yeah sure the Cobra is a Cobra and is faster, but the S197 has the looks to kill. You can always mod the S197 later if you like. There are guys here with NOS systems and they are in the 12s or even faster cheap! I think in road racing the S197 is a much better car also, there is a car right now that is doing well on the Grand Am circuit and they are using them on the Drifter scene also with good results. If your set on the Cobra, i would wait till they take a big hit when the hype is over with the GT500 and you can probably pick one up really cheap. I've seen 03s in the low 20's already and they will take a hit when the GT500 craze is gone esp when the GT500 king of the road edition comes out. I drove the 99-04s and the 05-06 mustangs is just a different animal!
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tripleblack
"You can never be free until you let yourself go."
I have driven both and the 03 Cobra wins hand's down.
Don't believe the stock #'s for the 06 GT.I saw alot of them at the WFC that ran 15's and over in the 1/4 with some mod's
Some bad drivers...numbers are pretty acurate....i posted a 13.9 with 20 inch wheels, at 2200 ft. guys with tune and cold air are in the mid 13s and with drag radials low 13s. 125 shot of N02 in the 12's. I think there is a guy here on the forum that got into the 11s with the bottle. The 03-04 cobra guys were in the 12s all night long but didnt see any break the 11s...usually a lot of wheel spin from these cars. On the other hand, there is a guy in my Car Club that has a Mach 1 and he bought the mach 1 on purpose because he wanted an automatic because the Cobras are all 6spds. He supercharged it with a ATI pro/intercooled and built the transmission to handle the power...this guy is in the 11s constantly and with more boost can be in the 10s easily. I also think auto cars do very well on the drag strip but not on the road course.
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2006 Deluxe GT 5 Spd Manual Tungsen Grey with black painted stripes, 20 x 10 konig beyonds, kw V3 coil over kit, BMR Chomoly Panhard rod, BMR Boxed Subrames, BMR Upper Strut, BMR lower control arms, BMR Upper Control Arm, Eibach Sway bars, Prothane Eurethane bushing kit. Bassani cat back.w/ x-pipe + hi flow cats, Roush Rear Spoiler, Street Scene Body kit,Street scene grille, 3D carbon louvers, HID system, Raptor Shiftlight with Speed of sound pillar guage, C&L with Preditor 91 Custom Tune
2003 Mustang SVT Cobra or 2006 Mustang GT? 
