Kia Stinger
Staff member
Just an interesting read for the high performance car fans out there...
Pontiac’s GTO was credited with creating the phenomenon in 1964, while Ford’s SVT Mustang Cobra has kept the muscle-car idea alive. Now for the 2004 model year, their paths briefly intersect. The Mustang Cobra goes away after this model year, and the GTO, after a 30-year hiatus, is back. This comparison offers insight into the state of American muscle.
This story originally appeared in the July, 2004 issue of R&T. - Ed.
Talk about a reversal of roles. Coming as it does at the end of the product cycle for the current-generation Mustangs, the SVT Cobra is much truer to the original muscle-car formula than the updated Pontiac GTO. In other words, the Mustang Cobra is rude, crude and faster than all get-out. On the other hand, the GTO feels much more like a refined sports tourer. It’s probably as quick as the original GTO, with the added bonus of being able to turn right and left much better. And the Pontiac has the advantage of serving up the kind of interior fitments and sound insulation you’d expect in a luxury car.
Still, I found myself drawn to the street-fighter ethos of the SVT Mustang Cobra. Its screaming yellow paint, ability to light up the rear wheels in the first three gears and massive amount of grip won me over. Despite showing its age in terms of body integrity, interior refinement, ride and build quality, the Mustang Cobra delivers in the visceral-thrills department like very few cars can in this price range.
The supercharged V-8 has a wide, readily accessible powerband that makes 2nd, 3rd or even 4th the right gear for a variety of situations. The 390 lb.-ft. of torque propelled the car to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds in our track testing and helped dust the quarter mile in 13.4 sec. at 107.0 mph.
That performance edge on the drag strip also asserted itself on the skidpad. In addition to a tauter suspension than the GTO’s, the Mustang Cobra has lower-profile P275/40ZR-17 Goodyear F1 tires, which enabled the car to pull 0.88g on the skid pad. Set up with mild understeer, the Mustang Cobra cruised through our 700-ft. slalom at 65.6 mph, 2.6 mph faster than the Pontiac.
These test track numbers played out well on the real world roads of Mt. Palomar, where the Cobra felt sharp, with crisp turn-in, minimal body lean and an unflappable demeanor in the tight corners and switch backs. The GTO felt a bit more languid, exhibiting a little more body roll before taking a set. The Pontiac is a good handler; it just lacks the finely honed road manners of the Mustang, especially when pushed hard. Much of this credit also must go to the independent rear suspension developed specifically for the Cobra model, a feature SVT promises it will retain on the next-generation car.
Steering is another area where the Mustang Cobra felt clearly superior. The on-center feel was accurate, providing excellent feedback, while the action felt linear without the power assist getting in the way. The GTO, on the other hand, felt a tad lighter, with a tiny bit of low-order vibration that came through on some road surfaces. The Mustang Cobra’s brakes also worked well, with a solid feel that made it easy to modulate the effort. But after one particularly spirited run down the mountain, the Mustang’s pads were visibly smoking. Nonetheless, the brakes didn’t show any signs of giving up. This stopping ability was borne out at the track where the Cobra tied the GTO in 60-0 mph stopping of 121 ft. and took just 3 ft. more than the GTO’s 218 ft. from 80 mph.
In terms of the overall package, the Mustang Cobra is much more extroverted in styling than the understated GTO. The front end is aggressive, with its large chin spoiler and driving lights flanked by brake cooling ducts. The taller hood with its power dome tips off that the engine is much taller than the stock GT’s. On the back, there is a trunklid spoiler that nicely complements the other aero bits. Read more...
Pontiac’s GTO was credited with creating the phenomenon in 1964, while Ford’s SVT Mustang Cobra has kept the muscle-car idea alive. Now for the 2004 model year, their paths briefly intersect. The Mustang Cobra goes away after this model year, and the GTO, after a 30-year hiatus, is back. This comparison offers insight into the state of American muscle.
This story originally appeared in the July, 2004 issue of R&T. - Ed.
Talk about a reversal of roles. Coming as it does at the end of the product cycle for the current-generation Mustangs, the SVT Cobra is much truer to the original muscle-car formula than the updated Pontiac GTO. In other words, the Mustang Cobra is rude, crude and faster than all get-out. On the other hand, the GTO feels much more like a refined sports tourer. It’s probably as quick as the original GTO, with the added bonus of being able to turn right and left much better. And the Pontiac has the advantage of serving up the kind of interior fitments and sound insulation you’d expect in a luxury car.
Still, I found myself drawn to the street-fighter ethos of the SVT Mustang Cobra. Its screaming yellow paint, ability to light up the rear wheels in the first three gears and massive amount of grip won me over. Despite showing its age in terms of body integrity, interior refinement, ride and build quality, the Mustang Cobra delivers in the visceral-thrills department like very few cars can in this price range.
The supercharged V-8 has a wide, readily accessible powerband that makes 2nd, 3rd or even 4th the right gear for a variety of situations. The 390 lb.-ft. of torque propelled the car to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds in our track testing and helped dust the quarter mile in 13.4 sec. at 107.0 mph.
That performance edge on the drag strip also asserted itself on the skidpad. In addition to a tauter suspension than the GTO’s, the Mustang Cobra has lower-profile P275/40ZR-17 Goodyear F1 tires, which enabled the car to pull 0.88g on the skid pad. Set up with mild understeer, the Mustang Cobra cruised through our 700-ft. slalom at 65.6 mph, 2.6 mph faster than the Pontiac.
These test track numbers played out well on the real world roads of Mt. Palomar, where the Cobra felt sharp, with crisp turn-in, minimal body lean and an unflappable demeanor in the tight corners and switch backs. The GTO felt a bit more languid, exhibiting a little more body roll before taking a set. The Pontiac is a good handler; it just lacks the finely honed road manners of the Mustang, especially when pushed hard. Much of this credit also must go to the independent rear suspension developed specifically for the Cobra model, a feature SVT promises it will retain on the next-generation car.
Steering is another area where the Mustang Cobra felt clearly superior. The on-center feel was accurate, providing excellent feedback, while the action felt linear without the power assist getting in the way. The GTO, on the other hand, felt a tad lighter, with a tiny bit of low-order vibration that came through on some road surfaces. The Mustang Cobra’s brakes also worked well, with a solid feel that made it easy to modulate the effort. But after one particularly spirited run down the mountain, the Mustang’s pads were visibly smoking. Nonetheless, the brakes didn’t show any signs of giving up. This stopping ability was borne out at the track where the Cobra tied the GTO in 60-0 mph stopping of 121 ft. and took just 3 ft. more than the GTO’s 218 ft. from 80 mph.
In terms of the overall package, the Mustang Cobra is much more extroverted in styling than the understated GTO. The front end is aggressive, with its large chin spoiler and driving lights flanked by brake cooling ducts. The taller hood with its power dome tips off that the engine is much taller than the stock GT’s. On the back, there is a trunklid spoiler that nicely complements the other aero bits. Read more...
