04 Cobra or 04 GTO?

GTO all the way.

For me, its just the profile of the car that I don't like.



Its mainly all that sheetmetal in the rear quarter panel. There's just too much of it over the rear wheels and the side window treatment makes the windows seem too large. Other than that, its not that bad-looking.
Driving-wise, I'd be willing to bet that the Mach is closer in acceleration than the Pontiac mags let on, especially manual vs. manual. I'd even suspect that the Mach would possibly have an advantage in accelerating and braking in independent tests and the GTO would have the advantage in handling, driving feel, comfort, etc.

ewww thats the gto, that thing is retarted, totally murdered the gto image, how could this even be a hrd decision, there are people putting like 2g into their cobra and running high 11's, and the cobra would have better handling,irs and all that.adn dude what the hell are u talking about more gadgets less guages, the only extram guage is for the SuPeRcHaRgEr.

Volldamort said:

Are you kidding? You can't decide between a 450HP muscle car or a 350HP family sedan?

Cobra man, cobra!

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No kidding; I could see hesitating if choosing between a GT & a GTO, but a Cobra???? No contest.

fiveofanatic maybe family could be the reason.....wife finds out then ??????. Guys always love power from their cars but everyone thinks about self preservation hahahahahhah.

Personally I like the monaro too much, anyway mustangs are hard to get in aust esp cobra.

Wow, Was reading the July Issue of Road and Track ... thought about this old topic. Strange the difference of opinions between Cobra Owners and GTO owners. Thought R&T may be the deciding vote. They gave the Cobra the slight nod on performance, then gave the GTO the nod on other's (like Driving excitement,and Gearbox). Bottom line, they chose the GTO????
Maybe not the slam dunk that was stated here?

I read that one, too. They needed different drivers. When you look at the performance numbers, the Cobra is easily on top; the reviewers' factor is what gves the GTO the nod in that article. They cry & moan about being too old & wanting a softer car...I'd be surprised if they're any older than me. They really gripe on transmission differences...but fail to point out that both cars use the Tremec T-56. The one guy bitches about the shifter handle coming loose in the Cobra...I suppose it can happen, but it hasn't happened yet in my 50,000 mile '97. It's not a freaking design flaw, like the skip shift GM trick to get the mpg numbers up. They gloss over that, & recommend pulling the fuse. So, in the car they prefer, all you have to do is disable one of the vehicle's as-designed systems, & then it's a good driving car. The Cobra mopped the floor with the GTO, & then mopped up the testers' candy asses. Bah.

Penguin said:

I believe it was something like Pontiac Enthusiast Magazine that did a shootout of the new GTO and the Mach 1. The GTO beat the Mach 1 in the 1/4 (and everything else), but not by as much as they thought it would. Of course, they do like the GTO because they are the Pontiac enthusiasts, but they did give much respect to the Mach. So yeah, it's better in every way compared to your Mach (if it's still stock), except it looks like a giant Cavalier, with nothing new, fresh, interesting, or nostalgic. Maybe the Judge will look somewhat better but I doubt it.

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LOL!!!! This is one dumb post. MM&FF says the exact opposite. Mach 1 hands down. GTO will get pwned by the Mach 1.

ahhh

WHO CARES its not a stang...

now that I have seen them on the road i think they look like SSSS exterior wise. I think they sound good though and the interior is nice....but its not a stang and its an Australian Car...not even really American....its pretty pathetic they took something they already had and renamed it as an American Icon Car...which it is not....

Ford did better with the Thunderbird..which I hate but at least they did it right....they didnt take a car already in existence and rename it....PATHETIC

THEN they had to have a TV Movie like the GTO belongs in Gone in 60secs or something... also PATHETIC....

THE GTO IS PATHETIC it will bomb

...

DId I mention its Pathetic?

and FYI the MAch will kick its ass at the track.....none of the youngsters buying the Pathetic GTO will be able to drive it. The Mach Launches better and is faster....easier to drive...so aside from just being a faster car it also has the advantage.....

Miklowcic said:

DId I mention its Pathetic?

and FYI the MAch will kick its ass at the track.....none of the youngsters buying the Pathetic GTO will be able to drive it. The Mach Launches better and is faster....easier to drive...so aside from just being a faster car it also has the advantage.....

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Umm..with a good driver the gto wont have problems with the mach 1. They will actually be very similar. Nobody will be getting smoked. Most likely one or the other will pull within 1 length by the end of quarter.

With that said, wait for the 05 GTO with the LS2 (400hp/400lb-ft). I would take the cobra for a toy, but the GTO is the everyday family car.

There is something to be said for being comfortable while driving. I love my Cobra's performance and looks but absolutely hate how uncomfortable I am while driving it. I saw my first GTO the other day and though I agree with most here, the outside does not inspire but the interior looked great and comfortable. Maybe I'm getting old or maybe since I fly the most uncomfortable POS in the US Navy inventory, it's just nice to cruise around in comfort. The 05 GTO with dual exhaust, other visual mods, and the LS2 just might be a contender in my book.

If your choice is between an '04 Cobra and an '04 GTO then go for the Cobra. If you can wait for the 05' GTO then it is a different story, it will be about as fast as the current Cobra with a nicer interior and some hood scoops to set it apart looks wise from every other Pontiac. Then it will be a bit harder decision.

I test drove a GTO before...

buying a pampered '03 Cobra Coupe. (Cobra owners love on their cars)

Why? It worked for what I wanted (A sports car/daily driver with lots of go). Your opinions and expectaionls may be very different from mine. I used a professional decision support system (computer program) called Expert Choice to help me make the purchase decision.

Before buying I researched dozens of candiadate cars. Driving top of the line examples of each of the vehicles listed below then making notes on my impressions, considered purchase price, insurance, etc... don't forget the I want to keep this factor.

These rating are not in order of finish.

'03/04 Cobra including soft tops= Drive it and you are convinced. The S/C acceleration at any rpm/speed/gear is strongest factor, Ride is controlled and much like a racing sports car. Interior is top of the line Mustang, either love it of hate it. You can upgrade it easily...seats are a good combination of everyday comfort and racer feel. Exterior has the look of a passionate driver with out to much bling bling (this can be changed easily). All things considered (IMHO) this is one of the greatest American Muscle Cars of all time. Keep it factor is off the chart because '05s will not have a Cobra version. There may never be another one like it. Rating - 1st place for any '03-'04 supercharged version, if you can find a used one for less do it in the next 3-6 months because some owners will trade them in for the mystique of a '05 GT. (Not me )

Pontiac GTO= Nice car if you have young kids, interior is higher quality than any production Mustang to date. Ride is composed but not much better than Cobra. The engine is pretty good, but needs at least 100 HP more to compete with any Cobra. Trans is decent. Exterior looks like a Cavalier, if GM doesn't address its boring looks quickly the slow sales will kill the car. It would take $8-10k in upgrades to get my respect. Very little keep it option. Rating - Last Place.

Maxda RX8= nice car if you have 2 children under 16, lots of revs, looks are love it or leave it, fun to drive at 80%, needs much more HP!, you'd have to add a serious turbo to make it to the Cobra level. Like it better than the GTO for less $. Would be traded in on a Mazdaspeed RX8 when they make over 350hp. Rating 3rd place.

Nissan 350-Z= Just rough enough around the edges to make many of us like it (just like the Cobra), but with lots of potential. Exterior makes a statment. Nicest V6 going, better gear box than the Cobra's stock version. Lots of appeal to young crowd. Needs a serious engine upgrade (Turbo) to reach the level of /03/'04 Cobra. Rougher ride with track version than even the Cobra or Corvette(F61 suspension). Great keep it factor, but not as good as Cobra. Strong 2nd place.

'04 Corvette (Standard Coupe) = Nice ride, but not as exclusive or indivitual as a Cobra. A Z06 is more capable and was almost as much fun to drive as the Cobra. C5s run pretty fast, Z06 faster still. They would have to make the Z06's rear window look better than that. Huge fan and racing following. The only Chevy I would ever consider owning. Corvettes are also the most expenseve of the bunch by more than I was willing to pay. Keep it factor falls down due to newer C6 versions. 4th place.

Honda S2000 = Lovely like a pretty ladie, best gearbox in a production vehicle, lots of activity under the hood with a fraction of a Cobras output. Engine needs over 150hp. Rice burner to the max, reliable, focused for driving on curvy roads. Less space inside than any of the others by far. Keep it factor is highly subjective to your lifestyle. Insurance price was higher than expected. Average in the group for keep it factor. 5th Place

Audi TT = Very similar to the Honda S200, but with higher pedigree. makes the GT look like plain ugly. Excellent daily driver, lask HP as much as the RX8, or a Acura TSX. Engine lacks excitment...other than external good looks and very good handling it is an average daily driver. Insurance is worse than any except Z06 Vette(?). Strong Keep it factor. 6th Place.

Cool ... good breakdown GrayCobra.

Cobra all the way, and my opinion isn't biased ;P

Thahks BlkRoush

Solid Snake said:

Are you kidding? You can't decide between a 450HP muscle car or a 350HP family sedan?

Cobra man, cobra!

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Exaclty. There really is no decision to be made here. Cobra is the ONLY option

Well, for me, the choice would be a foregone conclusion. I simply don't do GM!

The rest of you...what ever happened to manufacturer loyalty?

Faster, prettier, whatever, I'd still buy a FORD first, last, every time!

Carry on.

BRO......a decked out GRAND AM or an american classic.......huh.....tough decision