Just the same, Ford's top-tier pony surprised me. Its Bilstein monotube nitrogen-gas dampers did a good job controlling jounce and rebound, while its 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 kept it level to the road surface even under intense lateral Gs. The Goodyear Eagle F1 275/40ZR17s surrounding 9 x 17-inch cast aluminum rims - that incidentally come standard with a regular aluminum finish or can be ordered in chrome for an additional $995 (the only SVT Cobra coupe option) - kept the Mustang in complete control.
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| A self admitted import snob, I can't help falling for the rough edged SVT Cobra. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
I never thought I'd ever say that. Despite my initial love affair with early Mustangs, I've turned into a bit of an import snob. I'm sure you know the type, annoying references to domestic cars with poor driving dynamics, questionable reliability and shoddy perceived quality.
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| While the power and handling dynamics are superb, the SVT Cobra's lackluster build quality would stand in the way of a personal purchase. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
This latter part of the equation, perceived quality, would still get in the way of me purchasing a Mustang personally. While the general styling of the interior is good, the seats are excellent and 6-disc in-dash CD changer equipped Mach 1 audio system impressive, the 1-inch plus gap where the dash meets the door surround appears kit-car-ish and the heating and ventilation controls seem as though purchased out of an aftermarket catalogue.
To be fair Ford is on a monumental interior quality drive, improving its new 2004 F-150 pickup to a level never seen before in the category, and its 2004 Freestar minivan so that it can compete directly with Chrysler's class leader and the best of the Japanese vans.
