2003 SVT Mustang Cobra Vs. 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Harvard versus Yale is fine if your notion of a great American rivalry is rooted in stick-and-ball stuff. However, if you are a car person, it just does not get any more all-American than Camaro vs. Mustang. On street, strip, or road circuit, this has been a renewable competitive resource since the first Camaro made its belated appearance in September of 1966. I say belated because by that time, the Mustang had been on sale for almost two and a half years, and there were well over a million of them galloping around America's highways and byways. Since then, we have seen these two square off in a variety of Car and Driver performance shootouts, sometimes in multicar free-for-alls. As with collegiate athletic rivalries, the players have evolved as the years have gone by. But unlike college sports, Mustang-Camaro showdowns are rarely boring. That is certainly true of this one, particularly if you are a Mustang fan.

Fords entrance in this battle is the new 2003 SVT Ford Mustang Cobra. SVT (Special Vehicles Team) is Fords performance group that releases vehicles like the Lightning, SVT Focus, and the Cobra. The 2003 Cobra’s 4.6-liter, DOHC V-8 is equipped with an Eaton supercharger

The 2002 Camaro still retains some of the original styling cues that first turned heads more than three decades ago. However, make no mistake it is aerodynamic sleek and modern living up to its performance image. The exterior profile reinforces its sports car heritage with an overall ground-hugging appearance that emphasizes an agile, aggressive stance. Ten spoke wheels are still standard, but you can order them in a chrome-plated finish for improved looks. The 5-spoke ZR-1 style wheel is still available with or without the chrome plating. Goodyear F1 radials are standard, but new this year is wider B F Goodrich g-Force T/A KD radials. Improved cornering and lower elapsed times in the 1/4 mile can be expected from these new tires. Out of the showroom floor you can do a mid 13-sec quarter mile. Sadly, GM announced that the 2002 model year would be the last for the Camaro and Firebird.

Both of these cars are excellent examples of today’s performance and the future to come. With the demise of the Camaro and Firebird, the Mustang will come out as the final winner of the long pony car battle. The Cobra takes another round in this ongoing rivalry and continues to be one of the best performance buys on the planet. The addition of more power and refinements for 2003 can only help, and developments such as a new supercharged mustang from the factory, due to debut in 2005 indicates that Ford sees a future for the pony car. What GM sees is a mystery.

and new

Some topics in this essay:
Mustang GT, Camaro Standard, Manley Revised, SS Harvard, Firebird Mustang, Camaro SS, Car Driver, DOHC V-8, T/A KD, Camaro Firebird, camaro firebird, engine compartment hood, engine compartment, 6000 rpm, air engine, foot-pounds torque, pony car, compartment hood, changes distinguish, chevrolet camaro ss, ram air, air engine compartment, mustang cobra,