1998 Mustang Cobra: Affordable V8 Muscle
January 30th 2011 00:24
The old Cobra looked soft, but punched hard
In the annals of musclecar history, the 1996-98 Mustang Cobra remains something of a forgotten second son. It's not that it was particularly ugly, or lacked power- in fact, it had 305 horses, enough to propel it from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds and through the quarter mile in 14 flat. That's quick, even by modern standards. And the fuel economy wasn't particularly terrible either: 17/26 city/highway is respectable for a V8, especially compared to the gas-guzzling classics of the '60s. At a bottom line of $11,000 for a decent specimen, it would appear clear that this car's a steal compared with the similarly-performing 2011 Mustang V6.Objectively, then, it looks like the Mustang holds all the cards.
But as every enthusiast knows, a good car is more than just the numbers it puts out. That's certainly the case with this Cobra. On the road, it's nowhere near as good as the current car, especially around corners. The new Mustang has surgically-precise, nearly European handling prowess. This car. . . well, it's an old-school Mustang. Better than most cars, sure, but honestly? This car was built for the interstate, not the back roads. Understeer kicks in fairly early, but dial in the power and the tail swings out smartly. Suspension modifications might help to make it more neutral, but unless you're willing to pay to bolt on an independent rear suspension, this isn't going to be a very capable track day machine.
If that's what you want, though, this car has plenty of potential. The 4.6 liter modular V8 has enormous aftermarket support. With a few thousand dollars invested under the hood, you might just surprise an M3 or two down at the strip, not to mention the new Mustang V6. It sounds great too- put you foot down, and there's a deafening roar as the beast lunges for the horizon in a cloud of tire smoke. Pegging the rev limiter is easy and addictive. Burnouts? No problem. The Mustang will happily shred its tires to the rims all day long. Donuts are a little harder, but given a few tries, you'll get the hang of it. It's like riding a Tilt-A-Whirl, except that Tilt-A-Whirls don't make your ears bleed.
By now you probably understand that this is something of a hooligan's car. It's a blunt instrument, primitive, crude from the stone-age chassis to the plastic-coated interior. If your brain isn't fueled by testosterone, you'll probably hate it. By most rational standards, it is inferior to its Camaro/Firebird contemperaries. Still, I can't help but like the big guy. The Cobra has that primitive simplicity that we've almost lost in motoring. It's grunge metal compared to boy bands, the '90s versus the 2000s, proper masculinity instead of sensitive New-Age emasculation. The Mustang, with all its flaws, is totally real- American to its very core. That's why I love it.
Cheap, but comfortable interior doesn't look half bad in tan.
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: 4.6-liter 32-valve V-8
HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 305 hp @ 5,800 rpm/300 ft-lbs @ 4,800 rpm
0-60: 5.4 seconds
QUARTER MILE: 14.0
TOP SPEED: 152 M.P.H.
BRAKING, 60-0: 127 feet
SKIDPAD, 100 FEET: .89g
TRANSMISSION: Five-speed manual
FUEL ECONOMY: 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, 17.6 mpg test
WHEELBASE: 101.3 in.
OVERALL LENGTH: 182.5 in.
OVERALL HEIGHT: 53.3 in.
OVERALL WIDTH: 71.8 in.
CURB WEIGHT: 3,506 lbs
FUEL CAPACITY: 15.7 gal.
LUGGAGE CAPACITY: 7.7 cu. ft.
TIRES: 245/45ZR17
PRICE (NEW) USED: ($28660) Around $11,000/mint
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