The Ford SVT Mustang Cobra (also known as "SVT Mustang Cobra, SVT Cobra," or simply as "Cobra") is a pony car that was built by American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company's Special Vehicle Team division (or SVT) for the 1993 to 2004 model years.
The SVT Cobra was a high-performance version of the Ford Mustang and was considered the top-of-the-line variant, being positioned above the Mustang GT and Mach 1 models during its production run. On three occasions, the race-ready, street-legal SVT Cobra R variant was produced in limited numbers.
The SVT Cobra was succeeded by the Mustang Shelby GT500 which was introduced for the 2007 model year.
1993: Fox-Body small block Cobra
1993 The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was launched during the 1992 Chicago Auto Show. It was the premier vehicle of Ford's newly established SVT division, designed to showcase SVT's hallmarks. The exterior of the 1993 SVT Cobra was similar to that year's GT model with differences explained below.
The upgrades featured a "5.0" V8 engine, rated at a power output of at 4,600 rpm and of torque at 4,000 rpm. According to Road & Track, the Mustang Cobra could complete a 1/4 mile in 14.5 seconds at a trap speed of . Acceleration from zero to took 5.9 seconds. The drivetrain received an upgraded transmission, rear disc brakes, and for the first time on a factory Mustang, 17-inch unidirectional wheels.
Engine The 1993 SVT Cobra's short block (cylinder block, crankshaft, rods, and pistons) was carried over from the GT model. SVT engineers added the following performance items:
Cylinder heads — The GT-40 "High Flow" cast iron heads were installed. They were milled for 62.5 cc combustion chambers. The valves measured at the intake, and at the exhaust. The valves are actuated by Cobra-specific 1.7 ratio roller rockers, constructed of aluminum, and produced for Ford by Crane Cams. Intake manifold — The Cobra upper manifold was unique to the 1993 Cobra and had a diameter round throttle body opening, diverting air into (8) round staggered ports, each in diameter. The lower manifold was identical to the GT-40 manifold used by Ford Racing; it redirects airflow to a rectangular port configuration as needed by the cylinder heads. Camshaft — The cam is of the hydraulic roller type (same as the GT). However, the Cobra cam has unique specifications of intake/exhaust lift, (209°/209°) duration at , and a lobe separation of 118.3° Air/Fuel Delivery — The increased airflow and fuel consumption of the Cobra required these upgraded components: Larger (compared to the GT) 24 lb/hr fuel injectors, MAF meter, throttle body, and matching EGR plate handle the increased air-intake of the motor. A specially calibrated X3Z EEC-IV engine control unit runs the system. Accessories — The crankshaft pulley diameter decreased by 14% (as compared to the GT) in order to under-drive the alternator (automotive), air-conditioner, and smog pump, all to increase the power output. The water pump pulley was also decreased in diameter by the same amount in order to preserve the ratio of the pump's speed, and thus coolant flow. These smaller accessory pulleys necessitated a shorter serpentine belt. Exhaust — To extract the maximum amount of power from the Cobra's powerplant, Ford engineers used tuned mufflers with lower restriction (as compared to the GT). While the factory headers and H-pipe remained the same, the tailpipes were similar to that of a Mustang LX 5.0 L (Sport) model in that they had straight stainless steel tips (instead of turn-down tips on the GT). This is because the Cobra had a revised rear fascia, allowing (unlike the GT) for an exposed dual exhaust.
Drivetrain The Borg-Warner World Class T-5 transmission received an internal upgrade compared to the standard World Class T-5. This consisted of custom gearing for the first to third gears (which were reduced by 10% and hardened) while the fourth and fifth (hardened) gear was the same as standard T-5s found in the LX/GTs. The holding capacity of the Cobra's clutch was increased by way of a higher clamping force pressure plate using the same 10-inch diameter as the GT/LX.
Suspension The Cobra shocks and struts were sourced from Tokico and specifically valved for the car by SVT. The springs are linear-rate springs, which were slightly softer than the GT's progressive rate springs. The Cobra also features a smaller front anti-roll bar, as well as stiffer bushings in the rear upper control arms.
Exterior Styling The Cobra featured a more subdued styling than the GT.
Paint and Interior Trim The 1993 Cobra was available in four exterior paint choices, as shown in the table below. Interior color choices were opal gray cloth, black cloth, and opal gray leather.
Paint CodePaint Color ESVibrant Red Clearcoat EYVibrant Red* RDTeal Metallic* UABlack*
1993 SVT Cobra base prices
ModelVIN CodeMSRP Cobra hatchbackP42D$18,505 Cobra R hatchbackP42D$25,692
Cobra R
The 1993 Cobra R was the first of three special Cobra R models produced. The "R" designation stood for "Race" and as per the name, the cars did not have a radio, speakers, wiring and antenna, air conditioner, foglights, sound deadener, rear seat, rear safety belts, rear carpeting, and roll-up cargo cover, among other items. The car had power steering, but no other power assist options. It has roll-up windows, manual door locks, and manually-adjustable mirrors. The manually-adjustable Opal Gray cloth bucket seats from the Mustang LX were lighter than the GT/Cobra sport seats, and a piece of thin gray carpeting secured by Velcro covered the bare hatch and rear seat area. The deletions reduced weight by 450 pounds, but this was somewhat offset by the necessary addition of heavy-duty hardware needed for competition.
To stiffen the chassis, a strut tower brace was installed to tie the cowl together, and a pair of V-braces (used on all 1983–1993 Mustang convertibles) attached in an X-pattern tied the subframes together. The Cobra R featured Eibach springs that were too stiff for the street, but designed for a racetrack. The Cobra R also had adjustable Koni shocks and struts.
The car also featured 13-inch Kelsey-Hayes vented rotors in front and 10.5-inch vented rotors in the back. According to Neil W. Ressler, the executive director of vehicle engineering for Ford Motor Company at the time and one of the founding fathers of SVT, the 1993 Cobra R's brakes "were the most expensive brakes ever fitted to a [production] Mustang. I bought the brakes for the R model out of my engineering budget. I wanted big brakes, and we didn't have them. The program couldn't afford it. Unbeknownst to the higher-ups at Ford, I spent like $2,100 per car to buy those big brakes. But the last thing I wanted was a fast car that didn't stop. We ended up putting good brakes on all those [Cobra R] vehicles."
The same 5.0 L V8 from the Cobra was used in the Cobra R. However, the radiator was sourced from what was, by this time, two discontinued Fox-Platform mates: the Seventh-Generation Lincoln Continental and the Lincoln Continental Mark VII powered by the BMW M21 Turbo Diesel Engine, with a purge tank having been added to this Radiator for improved cooling. A power steering cooler (located behind the left foglight bezel) and an engine oil cooler were standard.
The Cobra R wheels were actually the optional 17x8-inch five-lug wheels from the soon-to-be-released 1994 Mustang GT, but were painted gloss black and featured chrome lug covers. The standard tires were Goodyear Gatorbacks. To give the car better front-end geometry, lower control arms from the 1994 Mustang were fitted.
Contrary to SVT's stated wishes, many Cobra R models were purchased by private collectors and never actually driven, but several competed successfully in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Firestone Grand Sport Series and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) World Challenge Class B Series. Of the three Cobra R models produced, the 1993 model had the benefit of being the lightest and the smallest.
A total of 107 Cobra R models were produced, and all were painted in Vibrant Red Clearcoat. According to Ford's announcement on April 7, 1993, the Cobra R was produced to take the Fox-bodied Mustang out in grand style, a "best of the last" model. According to SVT, the Cobra R can accelerate from zero to in 5.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of .
1993 Detailed Production Numbers Cobra Hatchback InteriorBlackVibrant RedVibrant Red ClearcoatTeal MetallicTotals Opal Gray cloth3271414368 1,110 Black cloth4481361185 995 Opal Gray leather1,07971,000802 2,888 TOTALS 1,854 9 1,775 1,355 4,993
Cobra R Hatchback InteriorBlackVibrant RedVibrant Red ClearcoatTeal MetallicTotals Opal Gray cloth001070 107 TOTALS 0 0 107 0 107
Total 1993 Production YearModelProduction1993Cobra Hatchback4,993Cobra R Hatchback107TOTAL5,100
1994–1995: SN-95 small block Cobra
1994 Ford introduced the newly redesigned Mustang (code-named SN-95) in December 1993. It was the first major redesign since the third-generation Fox-bodied Mustang that was introduced for the 1979 model year. Known as Fox-4 (because it was based on the Fox platform as a 1994 model), the new 1994 Mustang was an improvement over the outgoing 1993 model. The new car's ride, handling, styling, ergonomics, and standard and optional equipment were improved from the previous model. However, the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and Pontiac Firebird Formula and Trans Am, that were redesigned for 1993, came standard with , while the 1994 Mustang GT engine produced .
The 1994 Cobra was introduced midway through the model year with the same engine as the 1993 Cobra. With its GT-40 cast-iron heads and lower intake and its Cobra-specific upper intake, power increased to . However, the actual output of the Cobra's GT-40 enhanced engine was probably higher. Ford claimed 6.3 seconds to achieve 60 mph and a top speed of . Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine tested a 1994 Cobra coupe and achieved a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.87 seconds at .
Initially, the 1994 SVT Cobra was only available as a coupe, but the first factory-produced SVT Cobra convertible was the 1994 Indy 500 Pace Car Replica. On the same day that the new 1994 Cobra coupe was launched, SVT announced that it would be building a Cobra convertible (the first factory-produced "Cobra" convertible since the 1970 Shelby models) and that this convertible had been selected to pace the 1994 Indianapolis 500. The new Cobra convertible, or Indy 500 Pace Car Replica, was made available later in the 1994 model year.
The 1994 Cobra offered refinements compared to lower trim level Mustang models. According to Jim Campisano's book Powered by SVT: Celebrating a Decade of Ford Performance, below is a list of items that set the 1994 SVT Cobra apart from the 1994 Mustang GT:
Body and appearance components Unique front fascia with round foglights (versus rectangular on GT). Unique complex-reflector headlights. Chrome Cobra badges on front fenders (versus GT emblems). Unique rear spoiler with integrated LED stop lamp (versus the non-LED stop lamp integrated into the decklid on GT). 160-mph speedometer, white-faced instrument gauges, and black lettering (versus 150-mph speedometer, black-faced gauges, and white lettering in GT). Leather-wrapped shift knob, boot, and parking brake. Magnesium front seat cushion frames. Unique Cobra floor mats.
Engine and chassis GT-40-style 5.0 L Cobra V8 engine (versus High Output 5.0 L V8 on GT). 13-inch vented front disc brakes, 11.65-inch rear discs with dual-piston calipers, and standard ABS (versus 10.8" vented front discs, 10.5-inch rear discs with single-piston calipers, and optional ABS on GT). Unique 17x8-inch cast-aluminum wheels. Standard Goodyear GS-C P255/45ZR17 tires (versus Goodyear Eagle P225/55ZR16 standard on GT, P245/45ZR17 optional on GT). Unique chassis tuning.