2001 Cobra vs. Mach1 ('03 / '04)

stangman16

stangman16

Active Member
Nov 16, 2004
640
4
29
San Antonio, TX
#1
Just reading the descriptions the 2001 Cobra has 320 hp and the Mach1's have about 305 advertised. Can anyone tell me where the 15 hp difference is? They're both DOHC engines, not sure if the cams are the same or different. Any suggestions?

Don't be Cobra biased, but - which one would you choose to purchase? My friend is buying an '01 Cobra, and so I'm eventually going to sell my '99 GT and get either an '01 Cobra or an '03 Mach1 (same price basically). I'd get an '03-'04 Cobra, but my wallet can't handle the pymt's right now. Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
#2
I'd still go for the 2001 Cobra if for nothing more than the IRS. The horsepower ratings stuff is basically just advertised numbers, with the Mach being somewhat underrated. The Cobra probably has a bit stronger top end and the Mach a better bottom end.
If its a daily driver, the Cobra will probably make for a better ride. If you want a out of the box drag strip car, the Mach.
 
#3
Definately the Mach. The Mach 1 4.6 was supposed to be the N/A 2002 Cobra rated at 340. When Ford decided to add a blower, they put that motor in the Mach and rated it 305hp, Im guessing so not to piss off 99/01 Cobra owners..lol Either way, the Mach1 makes much more torque down low and revs just as high. The Mch shares heads with the 03/04 Cobra so you know they are good power makers. They also use Navigator camshafts on the intake side. This stout motor combined with a solid axle puts the Mach ahead of the 99/01 Cobras. Not that Id turn down either..lol theyd both stomp my GT....
 
#4
I'll have to say that I never heard that before. I was watching the transition period between the 01 Cobra and the 03 Cobra at that particular time and I never heard any mention at all of a naturally aspirated 02 Cobra for the US. If so, it must have been internal Ford talk or else I missed something. For one thing, the 01 Cobra started production kind of late in comparison to previous years. I'm thinking that it was even unclear in mid-late 01, whether they would call the next Cobra an 02 or an 03. Heck, for that matter, some speculation was that the supercharged Cobra was in fact a blown SOHC 4.6 V8 instead of a DOHC.
As for the difference in performance, its all been covered before and discussed but an 01 Cobra that will hook-up will run about what the Mach will. Apparently, the problem being finessing the Cobra out of the hole on the IRS. Mine has almost always been easy to hook up on the road. A member of svtperformance.com that owns a 01 Cobra ran against a similarly equipped Mach (both stock geared) just the other day from a roll to negate the use of excuses on the launch and his Cobra actually pulled some on the Mach in third gear from my recollection on 2 of the 3 runs. That's just the case between those cars and those drivers, however.
They're still close enough in most cases to call either a solid choice for a good late model Mustang. Its just deciding on the other factors in determining what the buyer wants.
 
#5
oohsoobad2 said:
Definately the Mach. The Mach 1 4.6 was supposed to be the N/A 2002 Cobra rated at 340. When Ford decided to add a blower, they put that motor in the Mach and rated it 305hp, Im guessing so not to piss off 99/01 Cobra owners..lol Either way, the Mach1 makes much more torque down low and revs just as high. The Mch shares heads with the 03/04 Cobra so you know they are good power makers. They also use Navigator camshafts on the intake side. This stout motor combined with a solid axle puts the Mach ahead of the 99/01 Cobras. Not that Id turn down either..lol theyd both stomp my GT....
Click to expand...
the 03/04 Cobra and 03/04 Mach use the same exact heads and cams. Look up the part #'s and you will see. As far as the 02 Cobra (or lack of) goes, there was actually supposed to be an 02 Model. During a test drive on the way to lunch one day, John Coletti was driving the prototype. He was fed up with the lack of performance. His exact words I believe were "this thing is a DOG"!!! After lunch and after returning back to SVT HQ, Coletti went and got an Eaton from an Lightning, threw it on the table and said, "I want this on the Cobra!!". It was too late in the model year to make it work, so they cancelled the 02 Cobra, hence an early 03 Model Cobra appeared. This is what an article from Car and Driver said during an interview with Coletti. I'll try to find it (in a box somewhere), scan it and post it.
 
#6
awsome, sounds like they are both close enough to call it a driver's race if they are both stock. Just what I wanted to hear! Thanks for the info, didn't know that about the '02 Cobra - I'd wondered why I haven't seen ANY anywhere for sell.

Just on the side, the '03/'04 Cobra's went for $35,000 ? So, are the '07 Cobra's going to be $45,000? An extra 100 HP difference there.
 
#10
have never seen any comparative dyno runs between the two heads :shrug: i have seen a flow bench test of the two. the 03 heads flow about 30 cfm on the intake and 20 cfm on the exhaust more than the c heads used in the 99/01 cobras between .300-.500 lift
 
#14
I've dynoed an 01 Cobra with catback and pullies and CAI (C&L) against two Mach 1s (03 and 04) that were bone stock. Came in dead tie in hp and the Machs made 20 more lbs TQ. This was done on two different occasions. Conclusion: the Mach has more stock hp and torque than 01 Cobras, about 15-20 in hp and tq. The 305 hp rating is a joke, they are more like 335 at the flywheel. Machs have better torque all across the board due to intake cam (their exhaust are the same as 01), better heads, and higher compression. They have no problem revving as high as the 01 Cobras. So, Mach is a better more updated version of the 4.6 DOHC if you're staying n/a.
 
#16
If I had a choice between an 01 Cobra or an 03 Mach, I'd probably have to take the Mach since it has the solid rear already, and the power is as good as if not better than the Cobra's since they were highly underrated from the factory...True, having a Cobra is more prestigeous than the Mach IMO, but the Mach just has the parts on it to make it go fast already...The Cobra IRS is crap no matter what people say, it's just a bad design for an IRS that they threw together on a Fox body platform...It's no mistake that the 07 Cobra has a solid rear, it's just a better design for what people use these cars for...
 
#17
The IRS is not crap for its intended application and that is to elevate the handling and ride characteristics of a street-driven pony car. You're probably right if you're a serious drag strip go'er, but on the street, the IRS is superior to a solid rear. It promotes a much more positive, enjoyable driving experience in the Mustang. I drive my car hard on the road quite often and I've never seen any compromises that made me regret having an independent rear.
 
#18
My point is, that the Mustang IRS is a crap design...but I guess they went with what they could on the venerable Fox chassis to make it work...There are many more IRS designs that work way better than the Cobra's ever will...And I'd say 90% of Cobra owners are drag racers instead of twisty course racers so it's not that desireable...
 
#19
MachI

I think the Mach will be a better investment, they are a sleepers now in value, and MachI can be purchased in like new condition at what I feel are very reasonable prices. Ford differenated the interior, body parts and drivetrain from any other Mustang, Plus they have the shaker. In Black they really catch your eye. The performance issues are not that great. I believe the older cobras value will continue to drop if they are not SC from factory just because of the new SVT coming soon and the 2003/2004 model reputations overshadow earlier models.
 
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