for one thing most 96-98 cobras were pretty fast stock. these are basicly the mach1. the 99 and 01 cobras were slower cause they are heavy.

 

I don't believe the 99-01 cobra's had the 03-04Mach 1 engine. The Mach 1 engine puts out less then 300HP while the 01 cobra puts out 320HP. Same motor I believe just a roots supercharger on it at only 8psi.

 

The older Mach 1s put out less than 300 hp but the newer models put out about 310 hp. I thought the 00-02 cobras put out 320 hp but I saw on a Mustang dealership website with a 01 Cobra advertised at 310 hp. That made me wonder if it's pretty much the same engine. I wonder if the website had a typo and should have put 320 hp instead of 310 on the website b/c I always thought they had 320.

 

the motor in the mach is a 4 valve 4.6 just like the cobras all the way back to 96. intake and exhaust can make a difference on published hp numbers between the 2 models.

 

Actually 03/04 Cobra has 390/390. Evan Smith at MM&FF professionally drove a completely stock (right down to paper air filter) to a 12.3 at 117. Stock tires and all. Most average drivers can muster a 12.9 or so out of them. The problem is that with IRS, they are a beech to launch.

 

lol...

99 Cobra did not have a supercharger. They are rated at 320hp.
Mach1 only produced in 03/04. They have 4v rate at 310hp, and are underated.
The 99/01 Cobra has higher compression, and IRS which make them hard to launch.

basically....03/04 cobra=death
99=maybe
Mach=maybe with edge to mach

 

96-98 cobras were lighter due to the Teksid Block. I was an aluminum block made in Italy. Ford tried to make it here, but they weren't as strong so the went to cast iron which is much heavier. The bottom end of the 03-04s is all forged so they can handle tremendous amounts of HP out of the box. Thye Mach has basically the same block and heads, minus the roots and forged internals. Cobras are at 305 at the rear wheels, machs about 20 less. The Terminators (03-04 cobras) are around the 390 mark, and easily hit 450 with a boost in psi. The drawback of the terminator is the independant rear suspension. Solid rear axle is the cure for that. Bolt on a blow dryer to any Cobra from 96-02 and your at 400 hp. The 4v heads are awesome generating power all the way through the power band. Don't get the GT mixed up with a Cobra, they are as different as a Neon and an SRT-4.

 

Do the 00 Cobra's have all forged internals too? I thought the only difference between the 2000 Cobra's and the 2003 Cobras was the blower.

 

Only the Terminators (03-04 cobras) have forged internals.

 

The best matched SRT-4 to Cobra is the '04 SRT-4 to the '99 Cobra with the SRT-4 only being .1 seconds quicker to 60 MPH and the same time in the 1/4 mile with comparable speed. There was one year, or perhaps it was a couple years, where Ford overrated the Cobra and was sued over it and they lost the lawsuit since it was proven in court that they knowingly overrated it, but I forget the exact year(s). And as we all already know, the SRT-4's were heavily underrated at 215 hp in '03 and 230 hp in '04-'05 as they all turn far faster times than what they could if they were at those rated numbers, that and the many dyno results with them putting more than the rated amount out at the wheels. Their speed in the 1/4 mile also shows they are capable of far better times, but with their narrow a** wheel/ tire combo they will never see their full potential. I'm waiting to see what the upcoming GT500 turns with it's 475 hp.