1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Convertible review from North America

When I picked the car up, the driver's side door handle was a little loose, I brought it back a week later and they tightened it.

There was a "recall" about a year after I bought the car to make some changes to increase the horsepower (the problem was that some cars apparently didn't make the advertised 320HP, so Ford replaced the intake manifold and exhaust system with higher performance parts - for free. Frankly, it was just fine, before.

At about 43,000 miles I had to have the rear brake pads replaced.

That's it.

Performance is outstanding, as one would expect from a car built for SCCA or drag racing. The aluminum block and quad cam 32v heads set back in the engine bay make the front end light (for a pony car) and result in well balanced handling. The car accelerates from 0-60 in ~5 seconds, corners at nearly.9g, corners well on uneven surfaces - even the top is fast going up and down.

The real surprise has been the car's low cost to operate - this car has been almost shockingly trouble-free. When I bought it I assumed that the hand built engine and low production indepedent rear suspension would have problems from time to time so I bought an extended warranty - something I'd never done before.

It was never needed (and expired a couple of years ago).

The car has its original front brakes, clutch, hoses, belts, battery, exhaust, top, coolant, and transmission fluid. I've changed the oil and filter every 6,000 miles or so and the rear brake pads (rotors and calipers did not need replacement).

It's a surprisingly comfortable car for the front passengers. The convertible has moderately softer springs than the hard top, and, combined with the IRS, it provides a more than decent ride.

About the worst thing I can say about the car is that there's quite a bit of cowl shake going over rough railroad crossings (and I cross one twice a day going to and from work). The interior's fairly plain, but that's not what's important to me.

I get around 17 mpg in traffic and 28 mpg on trips (another pleasant shock - and that's averaging 80, too). I'm a pretty aggressive driver in traffic, and love to lean on the motor if there's an opening - it sounds wonderful.

Until I got this car, I never kept one for more than a couple of years, but I don't ever want to let this one go. Where would I ever find another car that goes 0-60 in 5 seconds, has great handling, is rock solid reliable, cheap to operate, a 4 passenger convertible, and can get up to 28mpg?