Mustang Cobra Comparison - Snake Prize

Sometimes surprises are fun-like when you end up with more horsepower than promised. The '00 Cobra R is rated 385 hp at 5,700 rpm and 385 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. The '03 Cobra is rated at 390 hp at 6,000 rpm and 390 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Thank goodness none of these figures is particularly accurate.

In previous chassis dyno tests-on different dynos on different days-we've recorded more power at the rear tires than Ford's flywheel ratings would suggest. In addition, the cars run harder at the track than expected for their rated power. Here's a review of what these cars belt out on the chassis-dyno rollers using the full-dyno readouts in our archives. Add 15 percent for driveline losses to arrive at flywheel horsepower-429 hp for the blown Cobra, 416 hp for the R-and you can see Ford used Clydesdales when rating both engines.

It's also clear the '03 we dyno tested was either an overachiever or the dyno read high because with power and torque advantages such as these, it should have beaten the R at the dragstrip. In fact, while testing yet two other '03 Cobras on still another chassis dyno, we recorded stock power peaks of 361 and 369 rwhp. That would be 415 and 424 hp at the flywheel, respectively.

So, choose a Cobra horsepower rating you like. At the strip-and to our Levi's-the R has the charge where it counts.