Cobra vs GTO and Conflict/WMD

You should get the GTO.

Bob '03 Cobra coupe

If it inspires ford to start importing it's performance offerings from down under then it just might get me in the showroom.

Great writeup and perspective, Patrick.

I haven't driven a GTO yet, but I'd have a hard time spending that kind of money on any car that looks that plain and has that little horsepower when I can pick up a Cobra. To me, the GTO just doesn't deliver the bang for the buck that the Cobra does, especially with pricing as low as it has been lately. From what I have seen, the GTO would have to be priced in the mid to upper 20k range to catch my interest.

I hear you about the interior, but all the important bits are there IMO. Great seats, shifter actually feels pretty good after a few thousand miles, nice steering wheel and well laid-out gages. I'm not so concerned about the rest. I'd rather Ford spend the money on suspension and engine instead of charging another $5k for a car that's nicer on the inside. That's a secondary concern for me. Of course, that's also coming from a guy that drives a 2002 Ranger Edge with a 4.0, 5 speed, roll-up windows and no carpet! (Yes, I also have a Mustang)

I'm waiting for some of the Ford Austrailia cars to make it to the US. They have a very serious automobile over there called the GT-P, sporting a four cam 5.4, double wishbone front suspension, IRS, and Brembos

. I'm not sure why these cars haven't been adapted for the US like the GTO (Monaro) has, but hopefully the GTO will be an inspiration to Ford to do so. It sounds like GM has captured the spirit of the past GTO. It was a very civilized (almost luxury for the time) car that rode nice and had a monster under the hood.

Brian '86 GT

I honestly don't think that this is a real conflict. I will comfortable say that the Cobra will win, hands down. Let's run through this with my $0.02 thrown in.

Can't argue a bit here, it's true, the Cobra will hand the GTO it's ass.

Once again, I agree 100%. Yes, the Cobra is setting on an 30+ year old chassis, but it works, why drasticly change it? As for the GTO's styling? It's fugly. Simple. It's not really THAT bad looking, but the fact that they embarrased the GTO nameplate by slapping it on something that doesn't look like a muscle car makes it that much worse.

Wow, once again, I agree. lol I firmly believe that the GTO is geared towards the Marauder crowd, not the Cobra crowd.

Yep, it rides like a Lincon, but is a sports car supposed to? See above.

Agreed, the Cobra's interior could use some major work. I'll give this one to the GTO.

Does it really need to bend and flex that much? We already said that the Cobra out handles the GTO, but the GTO has softer springs for ride quality. I can make a Cobra ride like a dream, but it kills the handleing.

Ok, so Pontiac will bring out the Judge. Prolly a N/A (possibly forced induction) Z06 motor to compete with the new Cobra. I've read reports on the net that then next gen Cobra will share NOTHING with the current Cobra, and the current one puts out damn near 380 RWHP, what will Colletti do to kill the Judge? Only time will tell.

I hope the Camaro/Firebird will return soon, we need more American Muscle.

Let me state that I am not down-talking the GTO, I'm elated that there is another RWD, V8 "muscle" car on the prowl. I just think that the Cobra and the GTO aren't in the same class.

It's easy.

GTO. Then cut loose a few more K later on for a supercharger. Laugh at the Cobras from plush Goat comfort as you run away from them.

Dana

Yeah, maybe if the cars are left in bone-stock form.

The Pontiac GTO is really intended to meet the Marauder challenge head-on, which it does handily.

Current vintages of Cobra are pretty cool but a built GTO starts with a cubic inch advantage. You don't need all the fancy suspension doo-dads to go fast, just 6 or

8 psi of additional atmosphere at the intake valves.

And... it's a four-door with a back-seat that *humans* can sit in.

I love the pony cars, but I'm not blinded by love.

Dana

[big snip]

A more interesting comparison will be when the new Mustang chassis comes out. The GTO is based on a 3800 lb chassis and it's likely to be even heavier here in the states. The S197 Mustang is having weight added to it's chassis as well so it might be a more even match.

Right now the Cobra has a weight advantage and a motor built for high, high boost. The GTO motor is likely to be high compression limiting what can be done to give it some artificial atmosphere. The big displacement and OHV design makes spinning it faster a little pricier but not impossible. However, by the time the Super GTO or whatever hits there's going to be 30+ psi turbo kits running on fully forged 4V 281's. If the rumors are to be believed, and some are looking good, the new GT will be a three valve motor whose heads flow better than the current '99+ heads. The next Cobra is guaranteed to be a little better than that.

That'd better be a monster GTO :).

Dan

2003 Cobra convertible With some stuff on it

Who says you need all the fancy suspension doo-dads to go fast? If you give the GTO an artificial atmosphere like the Cobra has, you better give the Cobra the extra cubes the GTO has. I can agree about the back seat, but I don't think that a true pony car enthusiast doesn't care about back seat room. Besides, the backseat is to offset the 4v, Eaton blown 4.6L under the hood, not for people.

Same applies to the Cobra, swap to a KB blower and run 600 - 700 RWHP. Sorry, power aside, I'd still rather have the Cobra than a GrandAm look alike.

Don't need the extra cubes. A KB blower swap on the Cobra will make an easy

600 - 700 RWHP. Plus the GTO looks like a GrandAm wanna'be.

Hey, if you like your sports cars with 4 doors and loosely sprung, go for the GTO (which doesn't look like a bit like a GTO btw).

Personally that doesn't appeal to me in the least.

LJH

95GT

Sports cars don't have 4 doors :D Anyway... I think the GTO is ugly.. not what I think of when I think "muscle car" or "sports car" or anything like that. I'd take the Cobra over the GTO any day.

-Mike

Excellent post! You should work for C&D as a feature writer.

I informally compared the two before I bought my Cobra. Many of the benefits of the GTO vanished in light of no availability and the discount offered for the '03s.

Keep the insightful posts coming.

Ray

I'd have to disagree there. The Marauder is a 2+ ton 4 door with only 302 horses and an auto transmission. The GTO is a 2 door, 340 horse, 6 speed manual transmission equipped car and weighs in at about 500 pounds less than the Marauder.

But you lose the warranty and a good 4 grand from your wallet throwing boost on the GTO.

Every picture I've seen indicates that it's a 2 door.

I've still yet to see a 4 door new GTO pic. Where are the other 2 doors you speak of?

I believe both cars are intended to address the same market - sentimental 40-something males pining for the musclecars of our youth but have families and businesses and desire the perception of a more upscale car. The Marauder hasn't been a big success for perhaps contentious reasons; at the very minimum, it's not muscle enough.

The 6-speed manual is an available option; the standard fitment appears to be the 4L60E automatic transmission.

I'm pretty certain these two cars are being marketed at exactly the same demographic group.

You don't immediately lose your warranty, and the same can be said of tinkering with a Cobra.

Oops. I stand corrected.

Dana

He goes on to point out that the GTO will bring people in to showrooms but that they'll re-discover the Bonneville with four doors and more room.

I don't think I'm too far off, if at all, on the marketing goals for the GTO. They're distinctly different than the goals for the SVT Cobra and seem to be quite in-line with the the Marauder market, except the GTO is a lead-in to get people to buy Bonnevilles whereas the Marauder is pretty much in the same class as a Bonneville :-)

Dana

the above post

O> " ... we are going to get a lot of these people,