First time Cobra shopper needs help please.

Last fall i totaled my 92 vette and its finally getting nice around here so i need something to replace it. I have been looking around it a bunch of different cars, everything from WRX, vettes, mustangs etc. I have pretty much decided that i would like to buy a cobra. I personally like the looks of the 94-98. Please bear with me i have always been a GM guy, if i have researched correctly the 94-95 have the 5.0 and 96-98 have a DOHC 4.6 i think? I don't want to start a raging 5.0 vs 4.6 (i know what its like l98 vs lt1 vs lt5 vs ls1 vs ls6) war as i am sure that both have pros and cons. Basically i am asking is out of those years should i stay away from any of them,I have always been of the buy the newest you can afford. I would like to perform little mods limiting myself to basic bolt-ons. Oh and i would prefer a solid rear axle, someone told me the cobras are IRS? Thank you for reading all of this and giving you opinions, i apologize if i have brought something up that has been beaten to death or if this is posted in the wrong area i am new here.

Wow thanks a lot that is a great site, i like how you can do side by side comparos. The internet is so full of junk now i couldn't find anything close to that in a search.