- Responsive 4.6-litre V8 engines sound good
- Comfortable and supportive front seats
- Agile dynamics
- Well-weighted steering
- Suspension lacks compliance
- Notchy manual gearshift selector
- Convertible body lacks rigidity and shakes
- Poor standard of interior fit and finish
Review: Ford Mustang Cobra (2001-02)
Overview
Released in Australia in February 2001, the Ford Mustang Cobra was available as a two-door coupe or soft-top convertible. The rear-wheel drive Mustang was powered by a hand-built 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine which had a lightweight aluminium-alloy engine block, cast iron cylinder liners, double overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder, sinter-forged alloy conrods with fractured big end caps, twin knock sensors, coil-on-plug ignition and a compression ratio of 9.85:1. A five-speed Tremec T45 manual transmission was fitted as standard.
Manufactured in Dearborn, Michigan, the Mustang was converted to right-hand drive by Tickford Vehicle Engineering, Ford’s performance car partner. The Mustang was 4653 mm long, 1857 mm wide, 1354 mm tall and had a 2573 mm long wheelbase. Furthermore, the Mustang had MacPherson strut front suspension and independent, double wishbone rear suspension. The Mustang was also fitted with a limited slip rear differential which had a 3.27:1 axle ratio.
The coupe models had a kerb mass of 1557 kg; convertibles, however, were 1617 kg.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustang Cobra | 4.6-litre petrol V8 | 5sp man. | 240 kW at 6000 rpm | 430 Nm at 4750 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Mustang Cobra included dual front airbags, ABS and traction control.
Brakes
The Mustang Cobra had 330 mm Brembo front brakes disc with twin piston PBR calipers, 296 mm ventilated rear discs with single piston calipers and a limited slip rear differential.
Features
Standard Mustang Cobra features included 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with P235/45 ZR17 BF Goodrich high performance tyres, a Mach 460 sound system with a six-disc in-dash CD player, air conditioning, leather trimmed seats with suede inserts, a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, front fog lights, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a tilt adjustable steering column, an alarm and immobiliser.
Coupe models were also fitted with 50/50 split and folding rear seats, while the convertibles had a power-operated soft-top roof with a heated glass rear window.
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