I had the opprotunity to run a friend of mine with a 03 Mustang Cobra.
He was previously putting down 512 rwhp with Ecu, pully, CAI, x-pipes and muffler..
Fortunately for me, the car is up for sale and so he removed all his mods excluding x-pipes and muffler.
------------------------------------
1st Run: 2nd Gear Roll 40 mph
We were dead even the entire 2nd gear. He hit 3rd gear hard (i saw the car lurch forward) and he began to pull slowly. By the time i redlined 3rd gear he was .5 car lengths ahead.
His slow pull continued and he managed to pull 1.5 car lengths by end of 4th gear.

2nd Run: 2ND Gear Roll 40mph
I pulled about 1 foot on him in second. As i hit 3rd gear he pulled back on me but was much closer than the 1st race. He mangaged to gain about 1 car length on me by the end of 4th. Surprisingly, i began to Pull him in 5th.
He let off the gas before i could pass. He mentioned that his windows were down during the last run. I figured it was that or the SC was suffering from heat soak.
------------------------
Im not sure if my car performed well or not.. I am highly modded and really dont know how those cars perform stock and how a stock e46 m3 does against a SC Cobra.

How much rwhp do they put down stock ???

About 370-380rwhp/ft.lbs torque.

Really?? Cant be..
Dont they claim 390 hp and 390 ft lbs at the crank?

Nice run.

Just curious, but what mods do you have?

:evil2 damn good run

most american cars are very underated power wise.

Tee 03' Cobra is WAAAAAAAAY under-rated by ford.

The crank should be closer to 430hp-460hp

Tee 03' Cobra is WAAAAAAAAY under-rated by ford
Exactly, they kept the "rating" under 400HP for various reasons, gas guzzler tax, insurance ratings. Add a pulley and Diablo chip and they get closer to 500HP. My wife has one and it's a beast. (also has the turning radius of an F350 in the parking lot)

Yeah, most dyno sheets I have seen from 03-04 Cobras doing baseline runs bone stock run 360-375 rwhp and 370-380 rwtq...

Nice run, man!

They are indeed monsters. A friend (an instructor as well) tracks his at our local track. Ford took a shot at independent rear suspension, but came up short on performance. In addition, the FI configuration is engineered to only work on the street, as on the track it suffers from heinous heat soak, to a point where the car will go into limp mode whereupon you'll get handily passed by Miatas.

On the street or dragstrip, especially with a live axle conversion, they can be devastating though.

With my current job being in the hi-perf auto industry, i get a lot of chance to see the '03 Cobras strutt their stuff. They are indeed impressive. "The Recipe" as it is called (that would include a Cold Air Kit, a Catback, Xpipe, Pulley and tune, they will easily put 450-460 rwhp down. And the Kenne Bell cars are hitting about 625-675 rwhp depending on how agressive they set the boost. I saw a KB Cobra run 10.40 @ 139 mph on DRs with the T56 and IRS still in place. Impressive.

With my current job being in the hi-perf auto industry, i get a lot of chance to see the '03 Cobras strutt their stuff. They are indeed impressive. "The Recipe" as it is called (that would include a Cold Air Kit, a Catback, Xpipe, Pulley and tune, they will easily put 450-460 rwhp down. And the Kenne Bell cars are hitting about 625-675 rwhp depending on how agressive they set the boost. I saw a KB Cobra run 10.40 @ 139 mph on DRs with the T56 and IRS still in place. Impressive.
That's definitely impressive.

10's, wow... That's sick...

From reading all the positive feedback about the Cobra ,im quite happy how my car performed :D

From reading all the positive feedback about the Cobra ,im quite happy how my car performed :D

You should be... :buttrock

That is very impressive, but in your sig you ran a best of 13.2. I would think a cobra would be able to beat that all day.

I've went up against my friends 03 Cobra and we both are stock and he wasn't able to put more than a half a car length from 50 to about 125mph. However, his 200 pound brother was in his car. We've had several runs.

I really think they are very very close in straight line speed to an E46M3. I actually would think they would be faster considering the 390 hp and 390 torque the car produces.

I've went up against my friends 03 Cobra and we both are stock and he wasn't able to put more than a half a car length from 50 to about 125mph. However, his 200 pound brother was in his car. We've had several runs.

I really think they are very very close in straight line speed to an E46M3. I actually would think they would be faster considering the 390 hp and 390 torque the car produces.

Hmmm, bone stock they run low 12's at the strip... I'm gonna have to say your buddy ain't the world's best driver, or he was in the wrong gear, or something.... :dunno

I dont know of any stock Cobra to run low 12's, it could be possible but i think you mean low 13's. Here's one source for you.

http://www.car-videos.com/performance/view.asp?id1=179&id2=0

Maybe it's the difference in location, at Atco (sea level track), OEM Cobra's run 12.3's or so, I've seen it with my own 2 eyes. Drag Radials = high 11's with a skilled driver...

Heck, one guy up here got a Mach 1 to a 12.9 stock...

Thought you guys would get a kick. A Kenne Bell is going on as well as some other goodies. Should be good for 600+RWHP.

I've went up against my friends 03 Cobra and we both are stock and he wasn't able to put more than a half a car length from 50 to about 125mph. However, his 200 pound brother was in his car. We've had several runs.

I really think they are very very close in straight line speed to an E46M3. I actually would think they would be faster considering the 390 hp and 390 torque the car produces.

Hmm.. I literally put 3 + CL on stock e46 M3s. This cobra put 1 CL on me.. So, either the Cobra you raced wasnt being driven to its fullest or your car is a bone stock monster.
Any chance we can meet up?

Flawless,
I ran a 13.5 b/c of my bad 60 ft time. My trap speed indicates that i can run with low 13s cars and possibly high 12 cars (ie stock SC Cobras).

Nice run.

when i had just an off road H pipe and catback i was running 12.6@114 on street tires. the higher speed you go from in a roll takes out the cobra's advantage (major torque), and sets HP vs. HP. your M3 must run pretty strong, you should take it down the 1/4 i would love to see what it would run with drag radials, must have a decent trap speed also. another thing about the cobras is the weight, my cobra at full weight with spare and all is 3860 with me in it. oh and as dyno numbers, most mid pipe and catback modded cobras put out b/n 395-405 rwhp/370-390 rwtq.

when i had just an off road H pipe and catback i was running 12.6@114 on street tires.

That sounds accurate. I'm sorry, I don't see even highly modded E46 M3s keeping with a 114mph car...no way in hell.

One guy I've met personally ran an 11.5@124 with DRs, pulley/chip and complete exhaust upgrade. You're gonna need FI on an E46 to get that kind of acceleration.

You guys in here are hitting on an interesting fact about the '03 Cobras. They dont seem to be terribly consistant cars person to person. Where as their power is pretty well established and consitstant from car to car, piloting these cars with that level of power and an IRS seems to give people a fit. Ive seen bone stock ones that couldnt break a 13.5 @108. Then you get the ones that go mid 12's. And Dave, comparing Atco to joe-average track really isnt fair. Thats THE place to pull crucial time slips. Any way you cut it, Ford did an incredible job on those motors. They are fully built and forged strait from the factory. The only part of the entire short block that is not a contracted part is the block. They say this will be the first factory bottom end to propel a car into the 8s. X2C motorsports has a turbo version with a sheetmetal intake that makes well over 700 rwhp and is still in the developmental stage. It will make close to 1000 fwhp when its all said and done. Pretty crazy considering you can pick one up on the used market for mid 20k range. To be a Chevy guy, yes i like those cars. :cool:

the higher speed you go from in a roll takes out the cobra's advantage (major torque), and sets HP vs. HP. oh and as dyno numbers, most mid pipe and catback modded cobras put out b/n 395-405 rwhp/370-390 rwtq.

I think thats why i was able to keep up. Im not that far from matching his HP and i am substantially lighter (3200 lbs).
So stock cobras with only a catback and mid pipes put out 395-405 rwhp?

Phatna, agreed about Atco, but it's the only drag strip I've been to since the 03's came out... :D

So stock cobras with only a catback and mid pipes put out 395-405 rwhp?


Maybe throw a cold air kit in and yep, thats pretty much it. Then a $90 pulley and $500 tune and PRESTO`! 450+rwhp. And now your roughly $2K out of pocket. Almost isnt fair, is it? :confused:

Dave, I knew you knew, i made the comment for the other guys in here who may not be familiar with your home track. :cool:

Your right, its really not fair. But i must say that modding my car is more gratifying..
If i were a Mustang owner it would be expected of me to put down 400 + rwhp.
But my e46 M3 isnt expected to put down 300+ rwhp..
Just my opinion.
I still, however, respect all american muscle cars. In fact, i respect all big HP cars.

That guy in the 03 Cobra that beat me in my SC'ed Z3 had about $2500 into his car, had 477 rwhp....

JmWeb, Wzup Man

Check your PM