Instead of just bolting the reworked 4.6-L straight into the Mustang tub, which would be sort of like strapping a MerCruiser 496 MAG HO into a Walker Bay 8 foot dinghy, Ford's SVT engineers thought it best to modify the standard rear suspension. 
Gone is the archaic solid-axle architecture replaced by an all-new multi-link independent setup, dramatically improving ride quality and handling characteristics. Bilstein monotube nitrogen-gas dampers do a good job controlling jounce and rebound when cruising, but it's the 600 pound-per-square-inch springs front and rear, aggressive shock valving and beefy 29 mm (1.14 in) front, 26 mm (1.02 in) rear tubular stabilizer bars that clamp it down to the road when the corners arrive. Adding grip, Goodyear Eagle F1 275/40ZR17's wrap around 9 x 17-inch cast alloy wheels, either in regular aluminum finish or chrome.
As good as the new suspension is it's no match for a Corvette Z06. I had the opportunity to run over the same roads with a Z06 back to back, along with a variety of more expensive sports cars such as the new Dodge Viper SRT-10 and Porsche 911 Cabriolet, and the SVT Cobra felt loose and spongy in comparison. This may be as much due to the specialty Mustang's healthy 1,715 kg (3,781 lb) curb weight as to its relatively tall, sedan-like stance. Either way it was great for a Mustang, but still a little overwhelmed for sports car status.
Gone is the archaic solid-axle architecture replaced by an all-new multi-link independent setup, dramatically improving ride quality and handling characteristics. Bilstein monotube nitrogen-gas dampers do a good job controlling jounce and rebound when cruising, but it's the 600 pound-per-square-inch springs front and rear, aggressive shock valving and beefy 29 mm (1.14 in) front, 26 mm (1.02 in) rear tubular stabilizer bars that clamp it down to the road when the corners arrive. Adding grip, Goodyear Eagle F1 275/40ZR17's wrap around 9 x 17-inch cast alloy wheels, either in regular aluminum finish or chrome. 
As good as the new suspension is it's no match for a Corvette Z06. I had the opportunity to run over the same roads with a Z06 back to back, along with a variety of more expensive sports cars such as the new Dodge Viper SRT-10 and Porsche 911 Cabriolet, and the SVT Cobra felt loose and spongy in comparison. This may be as much due to the specialty Mustang's healthy 1,715 kg (3,781 lb) curb weight as to its relatively tall, sedan-like stance. Either way it was great for a Mustang, but still a little overwhelmed for sports car status.