2003 SVT Cobra.

[Vision]

Hey guys, a while back I was looking into purchasing a Mustang to join the ranks of the V8. I was informed a new Mustang was in development and was going to offer significantly better performance. Sure enough, the 2003 SVT Cobra seems to be just that. I have a few questions however, and hopefully you Mustang fanatics can give me some insight.

Am I going to have significant traction problems? If I buy this car, I do plan on taking it to the track as well as running it on the street. I've never done much racing at all with a FE/RWD platform so this all fairly new to me. All my drag and auto-x racing has been done on the DSM platforms (91 Talon TSi AWD, and a 95 GS-T). With nearly 400 hp at the crank, and RWD I can only imagine this car will want to shake it's butt all over the road. My GS-T dyno'ed at 368 hp to the wheels, which related to a little bit over 400 hp at the crank. Being that it was a FWD, it was a nightmare trying to get traction without slicks. How much of a problem is this going to pose for me on the street?

What about top end acceleration? One of my friends has a 2002 Camaro Z28, and he just rants about how the Mustang is so much slower to 150 mph than the Camaro. I would imagine a lot of that has to do with the Mustang being only a 5 speed as compared to the 6 speed in the Camaro, since it can take advantage of the power band range. But with the new Cobra having a 6 speed, will this solve most of that problem? Is there something else that is the culprit for this or is it just an ignorant rumor?

I had read a while back about Ford's SVO division (I think), producing a kit for $20,000 to change the 2002 SVT Cobra into the Cobra R model. I know the displacement is the same on the 2002 and 2003 Cobra's, but do they share the same internals, such as rods, pistons, and valves? Also, were there any significant changes to the head? If I wanted to bump the displacement from 4.6 to the 5.4 used in the Cobra R, what would I be looking at cost wise?

Is there any reason not to get this car? Such as something underlying going on at Ford that they are trying to hide? I really hope this car actually works out, because I'm ready to try the V8 world. I've had a lot of fun with DSM's, but I need a serious highway car, and unfortunately, the GST only has 5 gears.

Lastly, is there a projected date and time this car is supposed to go on sale? What kind of price tag will they stick it with?

Thanks for all the help guys, and I hope to join the Mustang ranks soon.

Vision
91 Talon TSi AWD - 11.194 @ 124
95 GS-T - 12.355 @ 115