Got pulled on by a new SVT Cobra

[SaberX]

Driving home this Cobra pulled up and the guy nodded. He jumped the car a bit indicating that he wanted to play. I downshifted to 3rd at 60 and stood on it. He did the same. Starting from 60 and going up to just over 80 - I pulled a bit at first and then while I was waiting for vtec his car just started pulling on me like crazy. Those things are pretty fast. Since I didn't want to go any faster than 80 I backed off... but still. I was pretty surprised. I know the NSX is not a straight line car, but it's still somewhat disappointing to get pulled on by a mustang.

 

[loNfastNSX]

what if any mods do you have on your car? I can pull on the cobra with the exhaust and intake. Hit the 125 shot NO2 and I can bury them!!!

 

[SaberX]

I/H/E - maybe I suck at stepping on the gas. I actually recently had the car dynoed and I put down 249 at the rear wheels. Those seem to be average numbers with my mods. I know SVT's put down close to 100 more HP than that.

 

[Arshad]

I don't think it's a surprising outcome given that he has a huge horsepower advantage (that's the supercharged one putting out 390hp at crank right?). I agree that it's still very annoying to be beat by a damn mustang but you can take solace in the fact that those SVT Cobra's are relatively rare.

Time to put in that supercharger

 

[LJSB]

The new Cobra is a supercharged 390 hp monster. Your car has 270hp-290hp depending on the year. You expected to win?
One of my painters helper has a 2004. There are few cars(ZO6 or Viper) that are going beat this in a drag race and NSX with a stock motor is not one of them. The NSX is a fast car but there are more cars coming out every day that in terms of performance and straight line acceleration are faster or will keep up with it on the highway. Hey it happens to Ferrari owners too and like them, should you care? I don't.

 

[zanardi 47]

Live life one turn at a time!

 

[nosboy4life]

hmmmmm........handmade or assembly line? which car do I chose?

 

[Brian2by2]

and that 390 at hte crank is very very underrated...its said to be closer to 450hp at the crank. And for $1500, you can make that around 600rwhp.

 

[hlweyl]

Stupid question: should you have downshifted to 2nd gear to get optimum horsepower? I know my 2nd gear goes to 85 mph, I'm assuming yours is the similiar. Were you even in VTEC at that rpm?

BTW, stop street racing!

 

[Cairo94507]

My brother has a new Cobra -they are supercharged and the 390 HP is usually under rated - they more than likely all have 400 +. They are very fast with gobs of torgue. A serious car with independent rear suspension and a 6 speed too. With very little effort they can easily reach 500 HP.

 

[nsxtasy]

Stupid question: should you have downshifted to 2nd gear to get optimum horsepower? I know my 2nd gear goes to 85 mph, I'm assuming yours is the similiar.

You should indeed have downshifted to the lowest gear possible without exceeding redline. On a stock '91-94, second gear is good to 81 mph; on a '95-96, 78 mph; and on a '97-04, 74 mph. Use of short gears and/or aftermarket R&P will lower these maximum speeds.

85 mph in second without exceeding redline is impossible...

 

[NetViper]

85 mph in second without exceeding redline is impossible...

Wouldn't different wheel sizes be a factor here possibly?

 

[satan_srv]

See ya when a guy pulls up in a SVT Cobra and nods that is the point where I would start laughing because I would have been aware of the lashing I was just about to get

 

[NetViper]

See ya when a guy pulls up in a SVT Cobra and nods that is the point where I would start laughing because I would have been aware of the lashing I was just about to get

I agree. If there is a little cobra on the side of the car and a large whine from the engine... time to let him go on his merry way

 

[snapper]

A buddy of mine has one he races. VERY fast cars. He was over one day and when my wife came home, she said "who's ugly-ass car is that in the drive-way?"

He was shattered. While he knows it's fast he also is aware it's junk.

 

[Darkcyd]

A tip from my buddy who has an 03 SVT. He says to look at the side-view mirrors. If they are body color, then it is a relatively newer version which is pretty quick. If it is the plasticky grey color, it's an older version and you should have no problem taking it.

 

[Bigglezworth]

Raced one here locally a few months back and took him clean. Wasn't driving an NSX though. Domestic power reigned that day when my Buick took the Ford. Acura wouldn't have stood a chance.

 

[nsxtasy]

Wouldn't different wheel sizes be a factor here possibly?

First of all, what you're thinking of is tire sizes, not wheel sizes.

If you change your tire sizes so that they are substantially different from stock, then the speedometer will be substantially off, while the tachometer remains accurate. On a '97 like hlweyl's, the outer diameter of the rear tires would need to be 15 percent larger than stock for the car to be going 85 mph at redline in second - and the speedometer would still read 74 mph. So we're talking about tire sizes like 375/35-18. Not likely.

 

[nsxtasy]

According to magazine tests such as AutoWeek, the 2003 SVT Cobra (that's the one with 390 hp and weighs 3665 pounds) accelerates about as fast as a '97-04 NSX-T, with acceleration numbers like 4.85 0-60 and 13.31 1/4 mile. Fast? Yes. Able to pull away from an NSX? No.

These numbers are about the same as the earlier, exceedingly rare (about 300 cars, I believe - all reddish orange) 2000 SVT Cobra R, which had 385 hp and also weighed around 3600 pounds. As Darkcyd notes, there were other Mustang Cobra models that were nowhere near as fast as either of these.

I think the reason he pulled on you is that you were in the wrong gear. If you were in the proper gear, that wouldn't have happened.

Incidentally, the difference between even a Zanardi NSX and a '91-94 5-speed NSX Coupe is not enough for the Zanardi to pull away on a straight from the early model. As we demonstrated at the track a couple of weeks ago.

 

[hlweyl]

85 mph in second without exceeding redline is impossible...

I stand corrected. I could have sworn it does 85 mph in second. I just went out and Ken is correct, 74 mph.

It did give me an excuse to go out and redline it.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I agree. If there is a little cobra on the side of the car and a large whine from the engine... time to let him go on his merry way

Since I work for FMC I am well aware of what those cars are capable of and have waved off a few of them before. No disgrace in doing that.

 

[SaberX]

I guess I also failed to mention that I don't think his Cobra was stock. He had all his A-pillar gauges and when I rolled down the window to listen to it, it sounded really really mean with one hell of a supercharger whine. I'm guessing he had modded it because he really did pull on me. I also was in the wrong gear...

 

[SaberX]

I just noticed that someone read this post and gave me a negative reputation point with no comments. I wonder why. I didn't race him nor did I do anything irresponsible. It was late on a empty highway and I accellerated up to 80. If going 80 in an NSX is wrong, I don't want to be right... Oh well, its kinda annoying to have that red box next to my name...

 

[nsxtasy]

I don't think his Cobra was stock. He had all his A-pillar gauges and when I rolled down the window to listen to it, it sounded really really mean with one hell of a supercharger whine. I'm guessing he had modded it because he really did pull on me.

That would certainly explain it, too. Wonder how many hp he's got?

 

[The Kid]

been smoked by a "stang or two as well".. You know what they say about displacement. Sad thing is my 95 talon is much quicker than my NSX! time for some performance mods. Im looking forward to going to NSX2004 for some ideas and inspiration! see everyone there...