Here is a interesting article on how a fellow enthusiast ran across a test mule in Florida. Look for "Mustang-Matters, Vol 4, No 15, March 23, 2004", and for the section titled "Editors note:".

http://westmichiganmustangclub.com/mustangmatters.htm

"He also let me know that the SVT team was working on a 5.4 L blown 3 valve variable cam Cobra for the 06 model year and it would be good for about 500 HP." B)

an a price of $50.000????

No kidding. Everyone's saying they're holding out for the cobra. If you think you're going to get a 500HP car for under 50k you're doing drugs. Ford blatantly said they're building the cobra to compete with the M5, an $80k car. No way they can do that for half the price. Only people able to afford the cobra will be middle aged rich men, or 16 year old kids who have rich parents, who have death wishes for their sons. Better off getting a GT, putting 2-3k worth of mods to it and getting in the 400HP range. If the cobra look is so important to you, buy the cobra body kit and save yourself $25k.

You are NOT going to get bored with a 350-400HP car.

I don't entirely agree with you, dustindu4. I think that if Ford goes over $50K, most Cobras will sit on the lot. Don't forget that the new 'Vette will be well below $50 (I think $43k?). Shelbys and the like were traditionally priced just below the 'Vette, even the Shelbys that thrashed the 'Vette were less money. They want to sell these, and unless they are only going to make only a few hundred boutique vehicles (which I doubt, since SVT typically made >10,000 units/year on the Cobra), they would never move that many cars. I think over $50K would be an 'R' type model (maybe even in the $60K range). All I know for sure is that I have been waiting on Ford's promise since the 80's to deliver a true, kick a** mustang, and I will be really disappointed if they don't pull this in for less than $50K. :(

The current Vette is $44,000. The current Z06 is $52,000. Supposedly the new Z06 is going to be around $60,000. The regular Vette is only supposed to go up a couple of thousand, so I hear.

Actually, i believe it is the M3 they are targeting, which is about a $55k- 60K car. I agree over $50k for a mustang would be only for a limited "special" car like the Cobra R. They just won't sell that many. Regular Cobras should be in the low 40's. This will still be "upscale"as Coletti put it, without being out of its target market.

There are a lot of upper 20 to 30 year olds out there that can afford 40-50. Unless that is what you mean by middle aged.

I think it is < 10,000 or about. Only the 2003 cobra went way over 10,000 because it was out 4-6 months before the other 2003s were, so it had a production time of about 1 1/2 years. :cheers:

Cobra Production

You guys are missing a couple things.

SVT has said that it is changing its mission to produce even higher performance, more exclusive and higher priced vehicles. So a 500 HP / $50K SVT Cobra is well within reason.

There will also be a 400HP / less than $40K special edition Mustang at some point in time. This will really be the successor to the 04 Cobra.