[91LX2Bfast]

Ford doesn't make Cobra's with an automatic.
So if you want one, you have to learn how to drive a manual trans. And honestly, driving a manual is for all the better. You have better control of the car, and you are forced to pay more attention to the road. In fact, some insurance rates are slightly lower for a car w/ a manual trans compared with the same car with an auto trans.
I am 22, and I bought my first Mustang a month or two after I graduated high school with money that I had been saving from working at Pizza Hut for three years. Even at 18 going on 19 years old, I wasn't mature enough for the car. Within my second month of ownership, I got caught street racing, and before the end of the first year of ownership, I wrecked by driving recklessly. And honestly speaking, I was one of the more mature people my age.
So what I am trying to say is, even though you can't recognize it now, you might want to think about a different car. Once you've been around cars long enough, you see this time and time again, and 95% of these cars end up totalled. Its not something against your age, just your experience. Just like everything else, to become a good driver, you need a LOT of practice. And 6 months with a permit is not a lot of practice (hey, I thought it was when I was your age.) It takes years and years of driving to learn a respect for the road and the other people sharing it.
Why don't you talk you parents into getting you something like a Jetta 1.8T? Still has nice power, and a large aftermarket. If you need something to modify, throw a suspension on it, good brakes, and maybe an intake and exhuast system. It will be plenty quick, and should last you nicely right through college.
Again, if you are mature enough for the Cobra, then you should be mature enough to somewhat understand what we are trying to say. We just don't want to hear about another car being wrecked, or worse off, possibly another bright youth being hurt or killed.