The Ford Mustang SVT Cobra never grew up

High school. Some say they are the glory days. I hated it. The mean girls. The clueless jocks. The crotchety teachers. But most of all, I absolutely loathed muscle cars and the kids that drove them. Something like this Ford Mustang SVT Cobra would have been public enemy number one. Imports rule, V-8s drool!

Well maybe, just maybe, I was a little bit jealous.

The 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra overview

Mustang. Firebird. Camaro…

…Civic. 240SX. Celica? Damn it, they even got the cool names.

All three of these ‘Murica mights came with some amazing technology, like V-8s and chassis designs from when we used to land on the moon. They all looked cool in an 80s cartoon sort of way, but my god the insides were like getting lost in a Fisher Price factory.

If I had to choose, I’d pick the Mustang. I dunno, I just liked it. They always sounded so good, while my 3000GT needed Optimus Prime’s exhaust stack to get even the smallest of farts out. Damn it, again.

And of all the Mustang flavors to be had, I must say this Cobra got an “O” face even from yours truly. This thing was supercharged, good for 390 horsepower. Chrome wheels. They even nicknamed this 2004 version “the Terminator”. And that’s before people put bigger blowers on them.

Us import guys never stood a chance at the local drag strip.

Now in its 20th year on the planet, how does this SN-95 Cobra feel in today’s terms? After all, I’m so much more mature now. I think.

Performance Score: 7. Fun in one direction

Modern cars can really be so sterile. Can’t we get just a little bit of theater? The Ford Mustang SVT Cobra says absolutely you can. Porn is theater, right?

Engine

If you were a mere peasant in your Mustang GT, your car had just 260 horsepower from a 4.6-liter V-8. How did they manage to get so little from so much? Ford’s Special Vehicle Team raised their hand and offered up a solution – give us a Mustang, and we’ll make the Ford Lightning pickup truck its daddy.

Hence, the birth of the supercharged V-8 you see here. And what a unit it is, with a cast iron block (as oppose to the wimpy GT’s aluminum) to withstand more power. When the car debuted, it actually produced less power than advertised, so for the 2003 model year Ford gave it forged Manley connecting rods (what a name), a forged steel crankshaft, and forged aluminum pistons.

The result is something resembling an American Mark IV Supra. And it’s easy to get more juice, so the example you see here? 667 horsepower, with 575 lb-ft of torque. That’s at the wheels. On 93 octane.

Dominated by supercharger wine and an exhaust note of pure beef, this SVT simply has power everywhere. Revs build slowly, so it’s not a screamer, but the power is high in the rev counter. And there’s no way you can get all that power to the wheels, especially in the mildly moist conditions of the morning I drove it. It’s simply a riot to give this car momentum down the road.

Mustangs sound amazing, and this one is no exception. Think Jaguar SVR turned up to 11. Or 1,100,000. It’s an intoxicating roar that can intimidate if you’re outside. Inside, it’s just smiles.

Out of my way foooools!

Transmission

Fox body. If you’re an enthusiast, chances are you know the phrase, and because the platform is from the ancient times, this SN-95 is sort of built around it rather than it being built around the car.

The point is here under the transmission section because of the way it’s set up. The shifter sits waaay forward, and it’s waaay tall, so you’re almost leaning toward the windshield as you shift. At least the engagements themselves are positive and clear in this Tremec unit.

The clutch is what you might expect from a car of this nature – bring leg muscles. And all the pedals are spaced widely apart (and tiny), so heel-and-toe would require growing a third heel.

Steering and Chassis

I think here is where the problems come. Maybe you want to blame Clarkson on Top Gear, who hammered into my head at an early age that leaf springs and body-on-frame construction were terrible things.

To be fair, this Mustang Cobra was the first to have an independent rear suspension. Despite that, and a set of sticky near-drag radials, the Mustang isn’t very planted. A tip of the throttle is enough to make the back-end wiggle, and there’s only rudimentary traction control that can be turned off via the center console button. It allows for quite a bit of straight-line antics.

The ride itself is what it is – I hate to be so vague, but cars like this are aging and live a “sporting” life. A Supra is no better in terms of body rigidity. Don’t let it put you off though, because you’re not going to daily the car anyway.

The steering is more an idea than an actual concept in the Mustang. You turn, wait a beat, and then the car reacts. Modern SUVs are more direct. There is some heft to the wheel though, and if all you want are smokey standing starts, the forgiving wheel is actually an ally because the car won’t dart into the weeds as soon as it squiggles.

Brakes

13-inch front vented discs hold on for dear life with deal-piston calipers. The pedal for the brakes is tiny as mentioned above, but they work well for intended use and offer firm feedback. This car weighs nearly 3,800 pounds, so while I didn’t push it hard enough to find out, they might just fade if you track your ‘Stang.

The Cobra made me smile, giggle, laugh, and scream. It’s not hard to see the allure of strapping on a saddle to a supercharged V-8 and yelling “Watch this!” over and over.

Utility Score: 4. Coupe dupe

Were we all smaller back then? Well I was, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed cramming into these cars.

Let’s start in the back seat, where you’ll be really comfy if you simply voluntarily saw off your legs. Every 90s and 2000s coupe did this, mostly because they weren’t yet based on sedans. Still, you can fit kids back there, so shut up and get in because Daddy said so.

The front seats are things you sit on rather than in, without much thigh or lateral support. Once you get in the seats, you’ll find a driving position suited only for someone with giraffe legs and T-Rex arms, and the shifter blocks every button that you might need.

My head rubs the headliner, giving the effect of a tickle every time you turn. Hehehe, silly Mustang.

The trunk is okay – a small opening reveals enough room for daily life if need be. But a Camaro was a hatchback, and that offered more flexibility.

Fuel Economy: 2. Who’s thirsty?

If you don’t touch your Ford Mustang Cobra and leave everything stock, you will get a combined 18 miles per gallon, and that sounds nice. In reality, you will want to drive it like you’re running from the headless horseman, so expect more like an average of 13.

Once we add as much power as this example, the fuel needle becomes as active as the tachometer. The Mustang has an old-school charm that new cars can’t match, but it is amazing to consider the 4.4-liter V-8 in an M5 produces as much power in a heavier car with all-wheel drive, yet gets the same 18 MPG. Progress without electricity.

Features and Comfort: 4. A decade in the making

Park a 1994 Mustang next to this one, unbolt the interior, and you can pretty much directly swap most of the parts. Ford cheaped out here because they could (they knew the Camaro and Firebird were dying).

But what was once simply an embarrassment is now part of the nostalgic effect.

Grey matter

You might need sunglasses to approach this car, but open the door to reveal a dark and stormy night. Black…everywhere. Oh wait, white instruments! Remember when those were a thing?

Once you get in the seats, you’ll find that you can live like this. There’s straightforward HVAC controls (that probably should be below the stereo), power windows and locks, and Alcantara on the seat insets.

Cool Cobra logo, bro. Cool drilled-aluminum pedals too.

Look through the wheel to find many gauges (with more added in the aftermarket), but you probably won’t notice all of them when you’re going Mach three. There are many pressures and temperatures on this supercharged beast.

Naturally there is no screen, and it’s refreshing. GPS is great, but I can just attach my phone to the windshield.

The overall effect is very 2000s Ford inside, so if you had say, a Ford Edge, you’d feel right at home.

Orange you glad

Competition Orange. It is a shade that will sear your retinas, alert the authorities, and make you want to lick the paint. Perhaps the only shade that’s even more unique was Mystichrome, which is probably now illegal to produce in the civilized world.

What this SVT Cobra brings is a real hood scoop (not a fake one like on the GT), a blocky but cool lip spoiler, and 17-inch five-spoke chrome wheels that have since been replaced by the units you see here. As long as they are shiny, the look is maintained.

Otherwise, subtle. The bumper says COBRA instead of MUSTANG so you can tell grandpa which car is yours. Dual exhausts remain, and those fake side vents – you had to be there kids. You’ll know by the scoopier front bumper that this thing ain’t no GT though, so move outta the way.

The 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was a survivor

Firebird…dead. Actually, Pontiac too. The Camaro…dead. Then alive! Now dead again.

And Ford? You know by now that they killed off anything not SUV or truck related long ago. But the Mustang endures. This Mustang was the tipping point. Maybe even this Cobra. Thanks independent rear suspension. Thanks two camshafts.

This is the sort of car that makes the perfect weekend ride. You can enjoy it. Beat the snot out of it. But because it’s rough and unrefined, you’re ready to put it away at the end of the day, and slide into something more Mercedes-ish. That’s as it should be – keeps the car special, otherwise you end up with what the M3 has become: a daily driver.

This is the Mustang I grew up with – the original 60s coupes have no effect on me, and when someone says ‘Stang, this is the car I think of. It’s a lot of fun. Imagine eating a whole Civic Si and belching out VTEC bits in high school. What a thing.

Before I go, I leave you with this. What do all the best cars have? E9X M3, E39 M5. IS-F? AMG Mercs? Correct, person sitting there reading this: they all have V-8s.

Could it be that the muscle car concept was the right one all along?