Ford, PLEASE put your best V8 in the Mustang!!! I'm begging...

Thats also why the "other" companies cars cost so damn much. The mustang has never been cutting edge in technology but thats what was great about it. It is an entry level car that allows the owner to tap its potential if wanted. Granted the Cobra deserves better but they can't take a step down... well shouldn't. Ford has set the 400hp benchmark and if Ford puts out a 350hp Cobra out there will be a lot of unhappy people out there. I for one am heavily considering a Cobra but if they botch it up...
Kevin

Sicarius428 said:

Thats also why the "other" companies cars cost so damn much. The mustang has never been cutting edge in technology but thats what was great about it. It is an entry level car that allows the owner to tap its potential if wanted. Granted the Cobra deserves better but they can't take a step down... well shouldn't. Ford has set the 400hp benchmark and if Ford puts out a 350hp Cobra out there will be a lot of unhappy people out there. I for one am heavily considering a Cobra but if they botch it up...
Kevin

Click to expand...

If they go with a DOHC version of the 4.6, I'd expect about 320 horsepower, assuming they use variable intake valve timing. If they use variable exhaust valve timing as well, that figure could be even higher. But I highly doubt they would do this for a Cobra. (Now a Mach 1, on the other hand...)

If they go with a 3v SOHC 5.0L, I'd expect about 350 stock... I'd expect Ford to use this in a Bullit or BOSS, not a Cobra.

A 3v SOHC 5.4L should be at least 400 horses, with variable intake valve timing. This would be a likely Cobra candidate. So is a 500 hp supercharged version (which was recently rumored on The Mustang Source).

As for the 5.8L V10 and 6.2L Hurricane... your guess is as good as mine.

Edit: Please note that I'm being very conservative with some of these estimates.

A couple problems I see with that engine right away.

1. They are only planning to buy 25k engines. Somehow I don't think I want to worry about supplier problems or limit the gt's to only 25k units.

2. no weight specs yet. And just because it's dimensions are similar to a 6 cylinder. Does not mean the weight is that low. I can have a block of lead that is the same size as a block of aluminum. And the lead will be heavier.

3. If you look at some of the dyno reports coming out. The current 4.6 is producing more than it's rated hp. We have no idea if the 4.4 is producing as well as the 4.6.

4. Considering the 4.6 is now an aluminum block. I am not sure what weight advantage would be had. And I would personally would rather not have an increase in price.

calypsocoral302 said:

If they go with a DOHC version of the 4.6, I'd expect about 320 horsepower, assuming they use variable intake valve timing. If they use variable exhaust valve timing as well, that figure could be even higher. But I highly doubt they would do this for a Cobra. (Now a Mach 1, on the other hand...)

If they go with a 3v SOHC 5.0L, I'd expect about 350 stock... I'd expect Ford to use this in a Bullit or BOSS, not a Cobra.

A 3v SOHC 5.4L should be at least 400 horses, with variable intake valve timing. This would be a likely Cobra candidate. So is a 500 hp supercharged version (which was recently rumored on The Mustang Source).

As for the 5.8L V10 and 6.2L Hurricane... your guess is as good as mine.

Edit: Please note that I'm being very conservative with some of these estimates.

Click to expand...

I highly doubt we will see a 500hp Cobra....in fact...i'll go out on a limb, and say there's no chance in hell we will (unless the Cobra costs $50k+)

I doubt Ford will introduce an entirely new engine for the Cobra, so that rules out a V-10, or a 6.2L...and it has already bee said oficially by Ford that the 5.0L cammer will never be in a production car. FOrd has ALSO said that the 4.6L S/C engine will not be used again. So by process of elimination, the Cobra could have one of these engines:
-4.6L DOHC N/A tuned to 325-350hp (not very likely, since it would be a step backwards since last year)
-5.4L SOHC 3v N/A...350-375hp (fairly likely sicne the engine is already available in the F-150 making 300hp with "truck" tuning. All it would take is a little work to bump it into the 350hp+ range)
-5.4L DOHC N/A...380-425 (also fairly plausible. The '00 CObra R had 385hp, so 400hp would not be that much of a stretch)
-finally, the 5.4L S/C from the GT...500+hp. No way. Not a chance. (of course I HOPE I'm wonrg...but seriously...no way in hell).

Also, don't rule out the chance that the next Cobra could have slightly LESS power than last year. Ford may be reluctant to strip the "most powerful Mustang ever" title away from the '03 and '04 Cobra buyers so soon.

what were we talking about again?

Scot_94GT said:

I highly doubt we will see a 500hp Cobra....in fact...i'll go out on a limb, and say there's no chance in hell we will (unless the Cobra costs $50k+)

FOrd has ALSO said that the 4.6L S/C engine will not be used again.

Click to expand...

You have to read between the lines.
What Ford said was: The 4.6L S/C engine as used in the 2003 & 2004 SVT Cobra will not be used again..

Ford did NOT say that there will never be a 4.6L S/C engine again.
So there could be a new 4.6L S/C engine with an aluminum block, 3V heads, FR-500 4V heads, Whipple S/C, etc., etc. the possibilities are endless.

Perhaps the 601 HP - 2004 SVT Cobra that Ford showed at SEMA gives us a hint of what will be in the 2007 SVT Cobra.


As far as 500 HP goes, I was told by a Ford person that the original target for the 2007 SVT Cobra was 400 HP, Normally Aspirated . However with the big increases in HP coming from GM and DCX, the target was bumped to 450 HP. With GM now talking about a 500 HP LS-7, the Cobra HP target could have increased again to 500 HP. After all if the FRPP car at SEMA can get 601 HP from a dinky little 4.6L .........

yea, produce a car that from the factory will go out and run 12 second 1/4 miles on the street, stop light to stop light with the youth of america behind the wheel. Every kid with money who drive the gt's and cobra's now are going to buy that 500-600hp cobra and then go rip the streets apart. Drive that in the snow, rain, etc, safely on stock tires from the factory. No way. If the SS Camaros were still being produced in 2005, I dont think they would be making over 400flywheel hp. There is a limit to what exactly these guys can put out on the street.

I'd love to see a big cubic inch n/a motor in the next few years. Maybe something new, an entire new motor, not based off of any of the 4.6's or 5.0 cammer, somethign like a 427 just to be bad ass. Ya know what I mean.