New Ford Cobra...whatta ya think?

[Edley Rondinone]

Headlight area is ugly. Grille opening looks to Aston-Martin-ish. Hood is too flat; needs more "Cobraciousness". Looks like a cross between an Audi TT and a 350ZX and a, well, I dont know exactly what. Needs a major rework. Pass. JMHO.

[Mud]

Well, with no wipers, windows or top... it's doomed to falure. It's less weather tolerant than an oiriginal cobra.


As for looks..it's just not "cute" like the original cobra.

One thing though, until I looked at it....I never realized that cobra bumpers were supposed to be fangs.-Mud

[CSX 4039]

Originally posted by Fox


The first time I saw a 60's Cobra it made a lasting impression on me, I mean from moment one. I knew I wanted one then and there.

This car does not grab me. I'm not saying it won't warm on me with time, I am just saying it is not the same gut reaction.

I am in no hurry to get in line...for me, not any different than a half a dozen other cars that are out or in concept.

-John

My thoughts exactly.
Needs side pipes, a dip at the door handle area and curvey body.
Needs to be like the GT 40 redo. A cobra is to me THE MOST beautiful car body ever built. How can you improve on that?
Foolish to try, really, unless you are going to do everything you possibly can to make a modern car that looks like a Cobra. (A la JBL!)

[snakeeyes]

Ugly, ugly, ugly. I actually feel sorry for the guys working in new car design today. How can they have original thoughts when everything they're charged with designing is a "reinterpretation" this or a "retro" that? I can see some young car stylist sitting at his table (or computer, whatever), sketching away like we all did in study hall, then quickly erasing as he remembers he's got to make the grille "reminiscent" of something that hit the roads forty years ago, or that he's got to somehow incorporate Fifties styling cues into a twenty-first century design. I wish they'd leave the retro/modern stuff to people like Boyd Coddington. They do it better anyhow, and they're not burdened by the constraints of corporate overseers.

[427sharpe]

Ater looking at it again, I still like some things (size and hp), but the styling still seems off....and the more I look, the more it seems as if the root of the evil is the headlights. Basically, I think it needs a reworked front fascia, and it would improve a great deal.

[speed220mph]

Without side pipes. I'll bet Ford doesn't build it.

[Tongue Pirate]

It's small enough that we could take the body off & make it a go-cart!

[Cobra4Me]

I bet it will grow on us... somethings I like somethings I don't.
I'm just incredibly excited about the fact that Ford is taking steps to keep producing supercars with BIG horsepower.

I hope they do produce the 6.4 Modular V-10 ( an all aluminum 390 CID ) . some changes are necessary to the body tought.


I just heard on CNN:

Carroll Shelby said: "Nothing wrong with this car, well, maybe the throttle sticking...nothing WD-40 can't fix."

They showed the video of it unveiling.

[Edley Rondinone]

It's got 2003 Mitsubishii headlights. Ugh.

[Dave Crace]

As Jay Leno said, "If you can't hang your arm out the side and drag your knuckles on the ground, what good is it?"

I think it's a start that has some potential. Needs more curves and a bigger butt. Don't like the dash either.

[Wild Thing]

Also this car - imho - doesn't have the charisma of a 427 by far, the engine could by an interresting choice...

[Buzz]

I prefer this design...but then again, I'm biased
I think a top exec at Ford who then owned an Autokraft Cobra once said something to the effect that ""...theres's something special about a car with a body too small and an engine too big, causing the bodywork to arch and bulge over the mechanicals.."
That is the essence of what gives the Cobra its visual appeal - the bulging curvaceousness of the body - muscular and powerful to some, sexy and sensuous to others.
I agree with those who say that the boxy billet look is all wrong for a Cobra.
I'll download a pic of the new Series 1 ..oops!- I mean Cobra and see if I can add some character to its looks.

[Carroll DeWeese]

The original Cobra did not have a straignt line on its body. It was all curves and sex appeal. My wife loves its butt. The SC has much more appeal to most people than the roadster. The sidepipes are part of the car and its appeal. The new Ford makes my replica even more appealing.

I do like the idea of an over 600 hp engine. I am not sure, however, about the sound of a 10 compared to an 8 cylinder. I love the deep sound of an 8.

[Buzz]

I wonder if anyone ay Ford or Shelby is paying attention to this thread and the poll. We seem to mostly agree that it's great to see a new Cobra with that powertrain but it would be an awful shame if the look is poorly executed.
A roadster version with weather protection and a few amenities could compete directly for Vette/Viper market share leaving the hotter SC bruiser in a league of its own.

[KobraKarl]

Has any one seen the new Chevy pick-up offering...........man I must be gettin old.

KK

[Wild Thing]

really nice design, buzz; reminds me of the Wiesmann roadster, which is build over here in Germany with BMW - parts.

[Excaliber]

Buzz,,,,the bumpers on your rendition won't meet the "Federal" Guidelines.

When you consider THOSE kind of obstacles (air bag, etc.) it may be impossible to design a "modern" Cobra that "looks" like the original? Roll over protection also will be an issue. Beefed up windshield pillars, and roll bars will be required.

......and maybe thats OK!!!!! The beast from the 60's was one of a kind!

Ernie

[Sizzler]

Right up front, I'll say I like the new design, a lot actually. I don't like Buzz's design above, seems droopy nosed, and droopy butt...sort of a blue bloodhound look. Also, I don't agree with opinions that think longer is better, that's just a Corvette or Viper then. The Cobra has always been short, wide, and curvy too, yes, but mainly short and wide. I personally think, and everyone is certainly entitled to disagree with me, that the proportions of the new design are very very close to right on, and the angularity? I like it. I like the back, the front is ok, I like the sides even. Screw the sidepipes, those went out with Disco, and the original Street Cobra didn't have them anyway. I especially like that there is room in the engine bay for a V10. Though I'm not wedded to needing a V10 there.

Anyway...
Nobody has mentioned pricing.
According to a story in today's paper, Ford is looking at pricing it "under $100K". Pretty wide range. Competition? Audi TT - mid to high 30's. Nissan 350Z - high 20's. Kirkham - 60's. What would a Kirkham cost without the hand-formed aluminum body, and other labor-intensive processes? Would $40K be an unreasonable number? So a reasonable person might expect a fair price to be $40K for the new Ford.

So what do you think Ford will price it at?
A) $40K because that'll place it in the thick of things as far as its competitors?
B) $60K because that'll more closely match the price, if not the trim of the Corvette?
C) $80K because that'll more closely match the price of the Viper, which it is basically a Ford iteration of?
D) $95K because that's what Ford thinks the market will bear and will allow it to singlehandedly rescue the company from financial ruin by generating massive profits per vehicle.

I bet on D. Why. Because Ford is traditionally lazy. Sure, Ford Sr. was into mass production and keeping the assembly lines running all day, every day. But his spawn were raised in comfort and luxury. Servants at their beck and call. Their take on production is why so much? It just wears out the equipment faster and they'll need to replace it quicker. So they have focused on products like Aston Martin and Jaguar where a few cars produced each year can fund whole divisions of management. Just charge a lot per car, make a few, and call it a day. Ford lacks passion and drive. Oh sure, there're a few hotheads in the ranks, but Ford has become adept at letting them waste their energies in the back corners of the plants and offices. Ford hasn't shown any passion since Enzo told them to take a flying leap, and suddenly it was "bring me Enzo's head on a platter!" Well they did that. And once the anger-fueled passion was satiated, it was the 70's and back to the passionless products for the great unwashed masses. "If we must…" Meanwhile, Enzo, and his company kept right on producing cars full of passion that are still selling nicely, thank you very much. Now Ford has a choice again: make a lot on a few cars, or make not-so-much on a few-more-than-a-few-cars.

If they do charge 95K though, I'll be expecting a bit more content. Some popup rollbars in case of rollover would be nice ala' Mercedes (and this explains the thick windshield frame that someone was not liking). Some sort of provision for a roof would be nice. Air bags? Real seatbelts (with the 5th strap), paddle shifters (it is a modern race car isn't it?), actually, for $95 grand, there better be a heck of a lot more content or I'd feel obligated to lodge rape charges on behalf of the first purchaser. I mean, it's not like a Viper platform that was custom and unique from day one. The new Cobra is based on the GT's frame pieces which have already had their design/production costs amortizied into the GT's price. It's using minimal instrumentation, hardware, trim. I would think most of the costs are absorbed already by other product lines or shouldn't be all that expensive to begin with. But then, I think Ford wasted billions on developing the modular engine family when for 10% of the cost it could have just refined the FE, so what do I know.

The car itself is almost a moot point. It's obviously a Cobra. It has Shelby's name associated with it, if not actually on it. Whatever it looks like in its final form, I'm sure there will be a market for it. Whether a bunch of old geezers like it or not doesn't matter, because, quite frankly, they probably won't be a big part of the market. Lets face it, they're into the original Cobras, and there're plenty of suppliers of those in all price ranges. Ford needs to look to the audience currently in the market for one of the new Cobra's competitors, not just the Corvette/Viper market, but the Audi TT, the Nissan 350Z, the new Volkswagen R (Volks R ), and the Porshe Boxster market. What do those people want? Well, the Audi TT, the Corvette, and the Nissan 350Z are selling well. Fairly priced and attractive looking to that market. The Viper not so much in volume, but it is quite frankly, priced very high. Same with the Porshe (with some reliability and other issues). Those are the people Ford needs to identify and listen to as far as what they'd like the new Cobra to look like, and perform like. Not 'original' Cobra afficianados.

And what of the input from 'original' lovers? Self-serving? What would happen to the replica market if Ford suddenly started producing a REAL Cobra for $40K? With a factory warrantly and support? With more HP than the original, continuation or most replicas? And SAAC recognition?

My opinion, build it. Price it in the low 30's. Use the 4.6l DOHC engine if necessary to hit that price point. It's only 3,000 lbs, finally a vehicle that the little DOHC could shine in. Offer a blower option or the V10 as some Jet or Dragon or JetDragon option, sort of a Z06 Cobra. Produce more than a few. Get them out on the streets representing for Ford, unlike the GT which'll all be locked up in gated compounds, never to be seen.

Build it, price it fairly. Better to see it on the roads than under some sheet in a back warehouse.

[Tom T.]

I want to like it. But it's just plain ugly.

TT

[Jamo]

Oh yeah? Well, TTT back at ya!