cobra VS saleen

ksizzle · 02-21-2005, 07:24 PM

Ok well i've been interested in getting a new 04 cobra and am going to look next week. But recently i drove by a dealership just outside of Portland and what did i see? A new white cobra saleen sitting there for around $48K which is out of my range thats why i want a cobra b/c they're goin for $28-30K now. But I love the Saleen look in person its just looks so serious. Anyways to the point now i've been lookin for a 03 or so saleen S281 SC and i found one on ebay for around $30K. I know the specs on them 375hp 415 tq 1/4 mile 13.0 compared to the cobra of 390hp/tq and 1/4 mile in the 12.9s. Is the SC saleen rated pretty close to its actual 375 hp b/c i know the cobra's rwhp is very close to 390hp? I just wanna know if the cobra will spank the saleen easily? -thanks

El Cid · 02-21-2005, 08:57 PM

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ORIGINAL: ksizzle

Ok well i've been interested in getting a new 04 cobra and am going to look next week. But recently i drove by a dealership just outside of Portland and what did i see? A new white cobra saleen sitting there for around $48K which is out of my range thats why i want a cobra b/c they're goin for $28-30K now. But I love the Saleen look in person its just looks so serious. Anyways to the point now i've been lookin for a 03 or so saleen S281 SC and i found one on ebay for around $30K. I know the specs on them 375hp 415 tq 1/4 mile 13.0 compared to the cobra of 390hp/tq and 1/4 mile in the 12.9s. Is the SC saleen rated pretty close to its actual 375 hp b/c i know the cobra's rwhp is very close to 390hp? I just wanna know if the cobra will spank the saleen easily? -thanks

Stock v. stock I am confident the Cobra will outrun the S281 SC in a straight line and the road course. The S281 SC has a live axle and makes less power. Unless the Saleen has the upgraded brake package the Cobra has better stopping too. The Racecraft shocks are just Bilsteins with a decal on them (you can read "Bilstein" on the bottom of each shock. You can install any/all of the suspension goodies on a Cobra and while a Saleen is more exclusive... I would put my hard earned dollars on a Cobra first. If you do consider a Saleen, know that the 2001s had paint issues as did the wings (not the S281 E wing, the 99-01 S281/SC wing). They were rubbing paint off the fenders no matter how you adjusted them. That's why they went to the funny looking 3 piece wing in 02.

If you really prefer the look of the Saleen you can always just put a body kit and their 18" wheels on the Cobra (though I wouldn't alter the body of a Cobra - just my preferences). Saleen has in my experience and others been very difficult to deal with and get responses from when you have questions and/or problems.

Besides... if I could get my hands on a Mystichrome 04 Cobra to stuff in the garage I'd be in heaven

ksizzle · 02-21-2005, 10:36 PM

thanks for the reply, also what is the top speed of a stock 03-04 s281 SC i know the cobra is close to 170mph

Birdieman4 · 02-22-2005, 12:58 AM

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Stock v. stock I am confident the Cobra will outrun the S281 SC in a straight line and the road course.

In a straight line, the 2 cars are nearly identical. I've seen stock 03-04 S281sc's running midd-ish 12's, same as cobras. But I would give the edge to the cobra, because it comes with 3.55 gears vs. 3.27's in the Saleen. Put 3.55's in a Saleen and its a driver's race. The twin screw blower in the Saleen does a better job of making high end power vs. the roots blower in the Cobra, and with a WAY better stock exhaust it helps to make up the 4v vs 2v difference. But if you put exhuast on the cobra, it will beat a stock S281sc.
On the track it's a different story. Having raced many a new cobra on the track, it's not even in the same universe. A S281sc will destroy a stock cobra on a tight roadcourse. Just the stock rubber on the Saleen helps leaps and bounds over the cobra's.

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Unless the Saleen has the upgraded brake package the Cobra has better stopping too.

True, but the difference isn't tremendous. If the Saleen has the brake upgrade, it's not even close. The break feel and stopping power on the Saleen with 13' rotors is so much better than the cobras they aren't comparable.

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The Racecraft shocks are just Bilsteins with a decal on them (you can read "Bilstein" on the bottom of each shock.

They aren't your typical Bilstein's. They are nitrogen charged, and their performance works increadibly well with the racecraft progressive rate springs. The cobra lacks both of these.
If you wanted you could Saleen-ize a cobra, but it's still a cobra, value wise. One benefit of owning a Saleen is they hold their value better than a cobra, which should add into the equation.

primetime5.0 · 02-22-2005, 04:20 AM

i would get the cobra because the motor is built better and it can handle more boost and nitrous, they also are making a lot of parts for them. plus the saleen is just a souped up gt

Mustangous · 02-22-2005, 09:53 AM

I went through the same thing. It came down to the saleen though. If your gonna be at the 1/4 all the time then the cobra is the better choice. But if you looking for a absolute beautyful car that turns heads all the time then its the saleen. Saleen is more of a show car and concidered a collectable too. Its really 2 different animals. You have to concider what these cars are made for and weigh the pros/cons with what you want. And around the turns this car is amazing.

ksizzle · 02-22-2005, 03:38 PM

thanks again everyone that helped alot... ill let you know what i end up with.....

Birdieman4 · 02-22-2005, 04:17 PM

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i would get the cobra because the motor is built better and it can handle more boost and nitrous, they also are making a lot of parts for them. plus the saleen is just a souped up gt

If you are looking for a car to be modded, it's hard to argue with the cobra. I think that is one deciding factor between the 2. -If you are buying the car to mod it and up the hp, everything points to the cobra. If you want to buy a car 'complete' and not touch it at all, the Saleen is probably the way to go. To be perfectly candid, I say buy the one that you can get the best deal on, plain and simple.

Viperluke · 03-01-2005, 01:54 AM

Hey Birdman you seem to be the resident Saleen expert. I'm buying a 05 S/C Saleen in April. I drove the N/A 05 Saleen last week. What a sweet ride. It looks so much better in person than in pictures.
I'll be trading in my 03 Cobra. It has 448rwhp/472tq. I've ran 11.7@122mph at the track. My question is what would you suggest I do to the Saleen to come close to the performance I get out of my Cobra now? Would cai, pulley, tune be enough? Also wheres a good place to get aftermarket parts for Saleens? Right now I have a Superchip with a dyno tune for the Cobra. Do Saleens have the same computers as other Mustangs? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks.

Luke

Birdieman4 · 03-01-2005, 04:51 AM

The only thing limiting you from bigger performance from your cobra are the crappy connecting rods in the stock 05 motor. The blower system Saleen is using for 05 uses 2 heat exchangers instead of the one on last years series 4 and 5. If you just changed the pulley and re-tuned it, it could very easily make 440 rwhp, probably running only 10-11 psi. The new blower Saleen is using is very efficient for a positive displacment blower.