RE: Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 arives in 2006
Discussion
welcolme 03 cobra , drove a stock 03 anniversary in Riverside at a Ford dealer , it was black with black and red interior , great ride and i loved the IRS.As soon as i have the money im going to get one , will find it hard not to pulley it or fit a Kenne Bell blower to it as its such a tuneable car.Is yours stock or have you got the bug.My 5.0 runs low 11s and i would love to have that power in an 03 ( nice and user friendly ) on the street it rips your head off.There is a small following of late Mustangs in the uk check out www.ukstreetracers.co.uk .Be good to have you and any of your buddies on board.
I've owned a 2005 Ford Mustang GT in the UK for a few months now. It's an awesome machine. I think the 2007 Shelby Cobra version will be a cracking car.
Ok, the Mustang is no Lotus Elise, but then it does not claim to be. It still handles brilliantly despite sporting a live rear axle, the car is superbly balanced and appears to pivot around the driver. The chassis is extremely entertaining in it's own right... let's face it, how wild can you get on the public road anyway?
Where the live rear axle really comes into it's own is the off-the-line performance. It puts the power down evenly between the wheels. Resulting in a squat and then a powerful launch.
My GT is tremendous fun. It will light the rears up even with the traction control on, on dry tarmac. It chirps the tyres between 1st and 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd. Many US mags reckon that Ford's figures are conservative for the GT. Supposedly, new cars off the production line have been found to be putting out about 320 Bhp on the dyno. They also reckon the car is good for 4.8 seconds to 60 mph with TCS off and a good launch. Well my car has just over 1000 miles on the clock, and this weekend, my G-Tech reported that I got 5.3 seconds to sixty with TCS On. I reckon 4.8 should be easily attainable with a 5000+ miles car and TCS off. I can only believe that the 2007 Cobra will be more of the same, only more so!
I've loved American cars a long time now. I've had 2 Corvette's prior to this car. UK journo's moan about the gear change and the "lo-tech" engines, etc, etc. But they and others are missing a very strong point. Yes, the engines may be low tech compared to Euro and Jap based engineering. And, yes, they make their big HP numbers with big displacement and low HP per litre. But that is the whole point of big American V8/V10 engines. They will last and last. Long after your high tech Jap buzz box has chugged it's last breath, the big yankee motor will still be in the prime of it's life. Look at the Mitsu Evo FQ-340. Yes, i'm impressed that they have managed to get 340 Bhp out of a 2-litre engine. But for how long. I guarantee, a well used example, will be on it's last legs at 60K miles.
And that's exactly why the Corvette's are so successful at Le Mans in the GTS class. The Aston's and Ferrari's all drop-out with reliability problems in their complex high tech engines. Meanwhile, the Corvette's are using their "lo-tech" unstressed engines to win the race!!!
The 2007 Shelby Cobra will be a 475+ BHP Supercar that you can use everyday in anger and it will still come back for more, over and over again. If for some unknown reason you do happen to "pop" one, it won't cost you an arm and a leg to fix!!!! Unlike a Ferrari. If I had a Ferrari, I would be afraid to use the performance for most of the time for fear of the mechanical's and the subsequent moon crater sized dent in my wallet!
Say all you like about hi-tech vs lo-tech. In my mind the US make performance cars with engines that last for a superbly "realistic" price. No other manufacturers can beat them... bang for the buck anywhere.
Ok, the Mustang is no Lotus Elise, but then it does not claim to be. It still handles brilliantly despite sporting a live rear axle, the car is superbly balanced and appears to pivot around the driver. The chassis is extremely entertaining in it's own right... let's face it, how wild can you get on the public road anyway?
Where the live rear axle really comes into it's own is the off-the-line performance. It puts the power down evenly between the wheels. Resulting in a squat and then a powerful launch.
My GT is tremendous fun. It will light the rears up even with the traction control on, on dry tarmac. It chirps the tyres between 1st and 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd. Many US mags reckon that Ford's figures are conservative for the GT. Supposedly, new cars off the production line have been found to be putting out about 320 Bhp on the dyno. They also reckon the car is good for 4.8 seconds to 60 mph with TCS off and a good launch. Well my car has just over 1000 miles on the clock, and this weekend, my G-Tech reported that I got 5.3 seconds to sixty with TCS On. I reckon 4.8 should be easily attainable with a 5000+ miles car and TCS off. I can only believe that the 2007 Cobra will be more of the same, only more so!
I've loved American cars a long time now. I've had 2 Corvette's prior to this car. UK journo's moan about the gear change and the "lo-tech" engines, etc, etc. But they and others are missing a very strong point. Yes, the engines may be low tech compared to Euro and Jap based engineering. And, yes, they make their big HP numbers with big displacement and low HP per litre. But that is the whole point of big American V8/V10 engines. They will last and last. Long after your high tech Jap buzz box has chugged it's last breath, the big yankee motor will still be in the prime of it's life. Look at the Mitsu Evo FQ-340. Yes, i'm impressed that they have managed to get 340 Bhp out of a 2-litre engine. But for how long. I guarantee, a well used example, will be on it's last legs at 60K miles.
And that's exactly why the Corvette's are so successful at Le Mans in the GTS class. The Aston's and Ferrari's all drop-out with reliability problems in their complex high tech engines. Meanwhile, the Corvette's are using their "lo-tech" unstressed engines to win the race!!!
The 2007 Shelby Cobra will be a 475+ BHP Supercar that you can use everyday in anger and it will still come back for more, over and over again. If for some unknown reason you do happen to "pop" one, it won't cost you an arm and a leg to fix!!!! Unlike a Ferrari. If I had a Ferrari, I would be afraid to use the performance for most of the time for fear of the mechanical's and the subsequent moon crater sized dent in my wallet!
Say all you like about hi-tech vs lo-tech. In my mind the US make performance cars with engines that last for a superbly "realistic" price. No other manufacturers can beat them... bang for the buck anywhere.
rich1231 said:
ok, can anyone recommend an importer that will be selling the cobra?
Rich,
I'd imagine American Imports will be bringing them in. I got my Mustang from them - good guys, know their stuff and down your neck of the woods.
www.americancarimports.com/
neil.b said:
ok, can anyone recommend an importer that will be selling the cobra?
Rich,
I'd imagine American Imports will be bringing them in. I got my Mustang from them - good guys, know their stuff and down your neck of the woods.
www.americancarimports.com/
cheers neil
Witchfinder said:
This was reviewed in Evo this month and got a very favourable write up. Now if only they'd sell them in the UK, right hand drive, with a direct currency exchange price. Ha, fat chance!
You can get them in the UK at a direct currency exchange price by importing it yourself. You just have to pay the 10% import tax and 17.5% VAT. This is nothing harsh as every car in the UK has a 10% car tax and VAT included in the price. The only extras you have to pay are converting the car to UK regs.
As for RHD, I'm afraid it's over-rated.
I was thinking of buying a Gt500 but looking at the prices being banded around, I think its time to wait until the speculators have calmed down a bit. I can see the first years cars going for around $80,000 plus.
In the meantime, I have bought a Saleen Mustang S281 Supercharged to get my V8 kicks. Its on the boat now coming over from the US.
If you want a powerful American Mustang that can handle then have a look at the Saleen Extreme Mustang. Costs the same as a GT500 but more exclusive. Kicks out 550bhp with 535 ft lbs torque.
www.saleen.com
Kev
LuS1fer said:
You can get them in the UK at a direct currency exchange price by importing it yourself. You just have to pay the 10% import tax and 17.5% VAT. This is nothing harsh as every car in the UK has a 10% car tax and VAT included in the price. The only extras you have to pay are converting the car to UK regs.
So is VAT calculated including or excluding the import tax? We're still talking $40,000 * 1.1 * 1.175 = $51,700 = £28,000. Still a performance bargain, but too expensive for me. I wonder how much work they need to get through the SVA test
Edited by Witchfinder on Friday 16th June 14:49
It works like this:
Cost of car in dollars (this can be massaged by way of an agent who can sell you the car for a realistically lower price)
Shipping ($800 approx roll-on roll-off)
Marine insurance (about $400)
Import tax on purchase price @ 10% added on
VAT calculated on purchase price, import tax and shipping.
SVA isn't mush and is fairly straightforward. White sidelights, side repeaters, rear fog and switch, possible slight adjustment on the headlamp neams and orange rear indicators. The latter is now far easier as they make a Euro cluster that plugs in now. Test is £150 and then you have to register it and so forth. Probably £500 maximum if you do it yourself.
Cost of car in dollars (this can be massaged by way of an agent who can sell you the car for a realistically lower price)
Shipping ($800 approx roll-on roll-off)
Marine insurance (about $400)
Import tax on purchase price @ 10% added on
VAT calculated on purchase price, import tax and shipping.
SVA isn't mush and is fairly straightforward. White sidelights, side repeaters, rear fog and switch, possible slight adjustment on the headlamp neams and orange rear indicators. The latter is now far easier as they make a Euro cluster that plugs in now. Test is £150 and then you have to register it and so forth. Probably £500 maximum if you do it yourself.
evolutionvalet said:
I was thinking of buying a Gt500 but looking at the prices being banded around, I think its time to wait until the speculators have calmed down a bit. I can see the first years cars going for around $80,000 plus.
In the meantime, I have bought a Saleen Mustang S281 Supercharged to get my V8 kicks. Its on the boat now coming over from the US.
If you want a powerful American Mustang that can handle then have a look at the Saleen Extreme Mustang. Costs the same as a GT500 but more exclusive. Kicks out 550bhp with 535 ft lbs torque.
www.saleen.com
Kev
Kev - did you buy direct or through a UK intermediary? Am looking to import one later this year when I'm in the US - would be very interested to hear how you did it.
Stig,
If you go over yourself, I would thoroughly recommend Ron Ward at Campbell Ford. www.saleenperformancedealer.com.
Even if you do not buy from him, he is a great guy and will help as much as he can.
I did eventually use an intermediary but it is a client of ours and I got the car and shipping etc. for just over what I would have paid if I did it myself.
I have a few friends who have shipped stuff over themselves so pm. me if you want some more contacts.
Kev
If you go over yourself, I would thoroughly recommend Ron Ward at Campbell Ford. www.saleenperformancedealer.com.
Even if you do not buy from him, he is a great guy and will help as much as he can.
I did eventually use an intermediary but it is a client of ours and I got the car and shipping etc. for just over what I would have paid if I did it myself.
I have a few friends who have shipped stuff over themselves so pm. me if you want some more contacts.
Kev
I'm seriously thinking about at Shelby GT500. I hired a Mustang whilst on holiday in the states last month and was impressed. This would be my first US import, so any advice would be appreciated, especially as some of your guys have already owned a Mustang,(Kev?). Some of the questions which come to mind are: -
1. How should I go about importing. Through an agent of do it myself. I do have a friend in the US who could help.
2. What about warranty. Is there any and is there any UK Ford agents who can serivce the SVT vehicles.
3. SVA Testing - I believe it needs new lights etc. What's involved and where do I get the parts etc.
4. Is LHD a problem in the UK. I know I don't mind driving on the continent in a RHD so guess I just need to get used to it.
5. Does anyone know of a decent review of the car. I've read Evo Magazines.
I was thinking of waiting until early next year after they start shipping more freely. I'm willing to place a deposit and wait but not pay over the odds.
Thanks for any advice in advance.
Regards
Kevin
1. How should I go about importing. Through an agent of do it myself. I do have a friend in the US who could help.
2. What about warranty. Is there any and is there any UK Ford agents who can serivce the SVT vehicles.
3. SVA Testing - I believe it needs new lights etc. What's involved and where do I get the parts etc.
4. Is LHD a problem in the UK. I know I don't mind driving on the continent in a RHD so guess I just need to get used to it.
5. Does anyone know of a decent review of the car. I've read Evo Magazines.
I was thinking of waiting until early next year after they start shipping more freely. I'm willing to place a deposit and wait but not pay over the odds.
Thanks for any advice in advance.
Regards
Kevin
Kev946 said:
I'm seriously thinking about at Shelby GT500. I hired a Mustang whilst on holiday in the states last month and was impressed. This would be my first US import, so any advice would be appreciated, especially as some of your guys have already owned a Mustang,(Kev?).
The first thing you need to bear in mind is that the Shelby GT500 is probably already sold out. In adition, dealers have an unfettered prerogative to sell their cars at mark-ups appropriate to the market demand so figure on paying through the nose to get hold of one if it's even possible. In addition, you need an agent as I understand you cannot buy a new car in the US without a US address. The alternatives to a GT500 are Saleen, Roush and Steeda, all of whom offer Mustangs that are either upgraded and/or supercharged. Otherwise, buying a Mustang GT and supercharging it here in the UK (as I did).
Kev946 said:
Some of the questions which come to mind are: -
1. How should I go about importing. Through an agent of do it myself. I do have a friend in the US who could help.
I used an agent but I bought and imported a used Corvette. See above.
Kev946 said:
2. What about warranty. Is there any and is there any UK Ford agents who can service the SVT vehicles.
There is no warranty other than the warranty offered by importers if you buy one in the UK. Basically, you're on your own. There are aftermarket warranties. Places like Mildenhall, Litchfield Imports, Powerstation can all service the car. Indeed, Roush UK in Brentford can service it. The Mustang engine is a basic design with hydraulic lifters so maintenance can be performed by any competent mechanic who takes half an hour to familiarise himself with the easy layout.
Kev946 said:
3. SVA Testing - I believe it needs new lights etc. What's involved and where do I get the parts etc.
There are places who will do the SVA conversion for you. the headlamps are usually fine, needing possibly sligfht adjustment. Other than that, you need white sidelights, not the stock orange, side repeaters on the wings and orange indicators on the back clusters, modified electrically so the brakes don't flash. You also need a fog lamp and switch. This has been made easier by the pending availability of new units that will accommodate all those lights into one cluster: www.euromustang.co.uk
Kev946 said:
4. Is LHD a problem in the UK. I know I don't mind driving on the continent in a RHD so guess I just need to get used to it.
You're right. You just have to get used to it. You do this quickly and adapt easily. Soon, RHD becomes over-rated. I would recommend you don't get anything that blocks off or covers the rear 3/4 windows though as you really do need that aft visibility
Kev946 said:
5. Does anyone know of a decent review of the car. I've read Evo Magazines.
You should find tests on the web. Howebver, the car has been universally applauded and let's face it, it did pretty well against that Exige S on Top Gear. If it has a fault in GT form, it is that the suspension is a little too soft so it rises and falls under acceleration and braking and can roll a bit too much. That's nitpicking but Roush UK do a full complement of suspension mods here in the UK.
For the GT, 0-60 in the US is 5.1 and the 1/4 is 13.8 if that helps
Kev946 said:
I was thinking of waiting until early next year after they start shipping more freely. I'm willing to place a deposit and wait but not pay over the odds.
Good luck on that one. I know the Americans get mighty annoyed at being gazumped by the mentality of being outbid on their cars.
I hope you find the car you want.
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