2002 Camaro SS vs. 2001 Cobra SVT Review

[7camaro7]

It's as close as it can get for the years on these two cars. I figured this may get to be a sticky. (I want to get my sticky fame, too!)

http://www.stangbangers.com/01_CobraVsCamaroSS_Article.htm

[Wesman]

Nice find man :)

[MikeSomething]

Camaro's are good at making speed and the Mustang is better at handling it? I've NEVER liked Mustang suspension, I'm actually scared when I'm in one going over 90mph. It shakes like it's gonna fall apart, especially the convertables! And wasn't there a Mustang recall on their braking systems? We've only had one for the bubbling paint on the roof, and one for our Cats crapping out... Of course, I may be wrong, but who gives a :Potty:?

[stoney2677]

Camaro's are good at making speed and the Mustang is better at handling it? I've NEVER liked Mustang suspension, I'm actually scared when I'm in one going over 90mph. It shakes like it's gonna fall apart, especially the convertables! And wasn't there a Mustang recall on their braking systems? We've only had one for the bubbling paint on the roof, and one for our Cats crapping out... Of course, I may be wrong, but who gives a :Potty:?

hey mikesomething,
also from jersey. what done to your car and where get it done? more importantly who tuned it?

[Roastem]

They hit it right on the money with the review. I owned both for at least a year, and modded both.

Mike, I could drive that 01 Cobra for 5 minutes on twisty country roads going over a 100 mph and it stayed stuck like glue, but every time I try to take a curve flying with the Z I nearly sh*t my pants. Its like at any SECOND I am gonna be sucking down ditchbank.

[Corey1987]

I thought SS's came from the factory with a SLP style lid but in the underhood pic of the camaro, it had the same looking stock lid as my z28.

[bluefields88]

nope, SS's had the noise muffling lids. one of the first things I got rid of.

[7camaro7]

Camaro's are good at making speed and the Mustang is better at handling it? I've NEVER liked Mustang suspension, I'm actually scared when I'm in one going over 90mph. It shakes like it's gonna fall apart, especially the convertables! And wasn't there a Mustang recall on their braking systems? We've only had one for the bubbling paint on the roof, and one for our Cats crapping out... Of course, I may be wrong, but who gives a :Potty:?

First off, I like my girl's 2000 5spd mustang gt vert. On the curves at pretty good speeds say 70-80mph it stays nice and flat where my SS is more absorbent but still solid. We've been 90mph and had no shaking. It feels just as smooth as my SS. I have no idea if there was a recall on the brakes, hope not hahaha. I'll look it up some times. We got her car used and stock except for some audio wire and I mean its clean and the paint is nice. No bubbling.

Paint bubbling is from a cheap paint job most likely. Did you get the car used? What year was it? and by the way, YES our cars make way more power HAHAHAHA Than the gt's anyway

[7camaro7]

Thanks WESMAN!
Roatem, you need to upgrade your shocks at least man. Those and the sway bars. I think suspension wise the ss has different sway bars and stiffer springs. Also something to note is that we're riding on 17x9s with 275/40/r17 tires. You're riding on 255/45or 50/r16. We've got less side wall flex if you're riding stock wheel and tire sizes.

By the way I LOVE "taking" curves in my SS, thats one of my fav things to do, a back road is part of my path on my way to school everyday. I love down shifting and letting the rpms sing while going down hill around a tight curve then gassing out, so forth and so on.

corey1987 Not all SSs came with that lid. Only the ones that were optioned with it.

[Corey1987]

ok, thanks for the correction.

[7camaro7]

its cool man... nobody hardly has a stock lid nowadays anyway. That's the first mod we all do.

[Wesman]

hey mikesomething,
also from jersey. what done to your car and where get it done? more importantly who tuned it?

I'd like to know this too.

I need to find a local tuner in NJ :)

[Hurley711]

Good read. Thanks for digging that up

[Z28_SS]

what did you guys do to your hoods because i have a stock ss hood and i dont see anything i can do with it besides get a new one?

[tx77015ls1]

268 RWHP for the Camaro SS? Thats kind of low. ALso low for the cobra

Mine did 316 with the mods in my sig

[7camaro7]

keep reading it corrects it with 322rwhp. Yea I know, it is a lot of reading.

[7camaro7]

you guys remember Eleanor from gone in 60? Well there is a 68 which is a year later and it doesn't look so fast stock. like 6.8 0-60 and 14.8 in the 1/4. That movie's got everyone thinking mustangs are much much better than they are. Eleanor was obviously modded hahaha. I a bad ass camaro movie made!

[bevenue]

I have a friend that say any year Mustang Vs. Camaro. The mustang will kick the shit out of a Camaro. I guess he doesn't read the mustang sites.

Heres a few more.

http://www.stangbangers.com/93_CobraVsCamaroZ28_Article.htm

http://www.stangbangers.com/GT_vs_CamaroZ28_Article2.htm

Theres also one for '99 but I can't find it.

[7camaro7]

Tell your friend to come to Tennessee and I'll change his mind for him REAL FAST!

[Roastem]

Thanks WESMAN!
Roatem, you need to upgrade your shocks at least man. Those and the sway bars. I think suspension wise the ss has different sway bars and stiffer springs. Also something to note is that we're riding on 17x9s with 275/40/r17 tires. You're riding on 255/45or 50/r16. We've got less side wall flex if you're riding stock wheel and tire sizes.

By the way I LOVE "taking" curves in my SS, thats one of my fav things to do, a back road is part of my path on my way to school everyday. I love down shifting and letting the rpms sing while going down hill around a tight curve then gassing out, so forth and so on.

corey1987 Not all SSs came with that lid. Only the ones that were optioned with it.


The suspension setup on a GT and the 01 Cobra is completely different. I rode in an 02 GT, and it does not handle as well as my Z, much less the 01 snake.

I got 295/35/18 Toyo Proxes T1R tires. They are over 10 inches wide. I know because I laid my sausage across the tire and it almost reached to the other side. ;)

[7camaro7]

All I know is a couple weeks ago my neighbor with an older porsche was behind me in the twisties when I was in the gt and I know he was trying to stay with me but once we got in the curves real good and I kept the shifting on point, he was no match! I felt completely comfortable too! My seats in the SS are more supportive for curves than the GTs though.

by the way you said you rode in a 02 gt, did you drive it? Maybe the driver was incompetant.:rotfl:

and if your z isn't doing a nicely on curves just find out what would make it equal to or better than an SS in handling.

[iris]

mustangs are ok it depends on how much money you put in it,i have a super charged camaro ss and i kicked mustangs but on only 6psi boost badly

[bluefields88]

what did you guys do to your hoods because i have a stock ss hood and i dont see anything i can do with it besides get a new one?

what do you mean?

[predator]

i really dont think stock for stock an ss could handle with an IRS snake... sorry...

in a straight line.. well yeah...

i have an 00 vette, buddy has a 96 z, and other buddy has a 99 snake... and though the z will walk him pretty easy 0-60 the snake will way out handle the z in a turn...

-me

[7camaro7]

man you just went from a ss to a z racing. I really really really believe a SS has way better suspension than a z, I'm not 100% sure but I think it's a mix between v6 fbody suspension and ls1 power. Correct me if I'm wrong. They may have changed the sway bars on the z for the better.

[predator]

sorry man its still IRS vs. straight axle... and since they dont have SFC's or STB's... its aint working for em...

and what is the available difference... shocks?

oh sorry your right i guess i should have compared the cobra to his ws6, which still stands no chance...

-me

[jbb6811]

First off, I like my girl's 2000 5spd mustang gt vert.

if i found out i was dating a chick w/ a Ford i'd put her in the wind!


kidding!:giveup:lol

[7camaro7]

hahahahaha, you should see what she had before the gt! She had a hyundai sonata, atleast she went muscle!:lmao: she went from a 3.0ltr to a 4.6 and I'm damn proud of her, its a 5spd and the whole 9. When she just up and bought the car she didn't even know how to drive it. I had a really good idea and I basically got used to it real fast all in one night and I taught her.

You guys already know I'm always cracking jokes on her mustang, but its funny to me because I'm not anti-mustang, I'm just pro-fbody.

I'd actually take a quite a few fords, I like the gt40, 0304 cobras, some of the 05 and up roushes, and some of the older stangs with the 351 cleveland in them. I'd like a lot more different chevies though.

new z06, ttop ws6 98 and up (black), 70 or 71 split chrome bumper Camaro z28amn I said chevies, I got a ws6 up there) You get my point, I'd also like a 98 or up z28 to go all out on, I'd love to have an old 396 chevelle(gotta have red on that one). I'll stop here, I could go on all day

[Ripper415]

yea a lot of people think us fbody guys are haters on all fords and mustangs in general, but that's just not true (at least in my case). we all talk a lot of crap but at the end of the day i think that most of us at least respect the ford guys. the same can't be said for the ricers though. i'd take an american muscle car over a rice cooker any day.

[7camaro7]

+1 because theres nothing like American Muscle!

[Wesman]

yea a lot of people think us fbody guys are haters on all fords and mustangs in general, but that's just not true (at least in my case). we all talk a lot of crap but at the end of the day i think that most of us at least respect the ford guys. the same can't be said for the ricers though. i'd take an american muscle car over a rice cooker any day.

Same here bro.

My exact thoughts. I like GM better than Ford in general, but the Mustang is still a nice Muscle car. Especially the Mach 1 and Cobra.

As for Jap crap riceburners?? Hell no, I hate them cars :ughlaugh:

[7camaro7]

:uzi::typer: yup!

[AKIRA]

Ok this article is one the 01 cobra and we got its stats.

The 99 cobra owners, were their cars recalled? I mean did the owners get screwed or did they eventaully get their power back?

Were there 02 cobras?

I know there wasnt any MAINSTREAM 00 cobra, but no one ever mentions shit about 01 (and possibly 02 cobras), just the 03s.

[bluefields88]

your gf went from a 3.0 liter to a 4.6, I went from a 1990 VW Vanagon with 90 hp to my SS. I went from being the slowest guy in town to one of the fastest. but hey, the Vanagon has a fold down bed in the back. :yup: :love:

[7camaro7]

Ok this article is one the 01 cobra and we got its stats.

The 99 cobra owners, were their cars recalled? I mean did the owners get screwed or did they eventaully get their power back?

Were there 02 cobras?

I know there wasnt any MAINSTREAM 00 cobra, but no one ever mentions shit about 01 (and possibly 02 cobras), just the 03s.

I hear the 01s and 02s are the same like the 03s and 04s are the same. In 2000 I think there were only cobra "R"s No regular cobras... So basically the only scarey ones are the 03-04 cobras.

[7camaro7]

your gf went from a 3.0 liter to a 4.6, I went from a 1990 VW Vanagon with 90 hp to my SS. I went from being the slowest guy in town to one of the fastest. but hey, the Vanagon has a fold down bed in the back. :yup: :love:

hahahahaha Good to see you more than tripled your hp!

[Roastem]

I hear the 01s and 02s are the same like the 03s and 04s are the same. In 2000 I think there were only cobra "R"s No regular cobras... So basically the only scarey ones are the 03-04 cobras.

There were no 00 Cobra's, or 02 Cobra's.
93 only fox body cobra
94-95 5.0 Cobra, sleek body style
96-98 4.6 DOHC modular, same body
99 new body style
00 Cobra R only
01 pretty much a fixed version of the 99
03-04 terminator

[charlesss]

hey guys lets not forget their comparing a 2001 svt we all know if that was a 2003 svt cobra than it would be a different story no.

[z28punk]

we all talk a lot of crap but at the end of the day i think that most of us at least respect the ford guys. the same can't be said for the ricers though. i'd take an american muscle car over a rice cooker any day.
yea now that we have them rice cannons out there, we have kind of teamed up with mustang owners to take them losers out.
same with GM and Ford as companies. GM and ford have stopped battling each other and are now fighting imports.

[7camaro7]

hey guys lets not forget their comparing a 2001 svt we all know if that was a 2003 svt cobra than it would be a different story no.

but now its more fair, naturally aspirated vs naturally aspirated. no superchargers to help their engines. Engine for engine, we've got it.

[predator]

that is such a retarded point... they come factory with s/cers... we come factory with 5.7 liters...

this whole s/c vs n/a is for pussies that hate to admit a ford will smoke your ass in a straight line and in a corner... and put like $2000 in after market parts on both cars and then your gett you ass spanked even worse...

it is a stock for stock battle... and term cobras woudl easily come out on top... if i had anything but a c6 z06 (and i mean stock gm products here) a term cobra is one of the last things i would fuck with...

-me

[7camaro7]

that is such a retarded point... they come factory with s/cers... we come factory with 5.7 liters...

this whole s/c vs n/a is for pussies that hate to admit a ford will smoke your ass in a straight line and in a corner... and put like $2000 in after market parts on both cars and then your gett you ass spanked even worse...

it is a stock for stock battle... and term cobras woudl easily come out on top... if i had anything but a c6 z06 (and i mean stock gm products here) a term cobra is one of the last things i would fuck with...

-me

I don't remember the 2001 cobra having a superhcarger.:ughlaugh: :kick:

[predator]

you know its actually sad that 99/01 cobras and 03-04 mach 1's come so close to an ls1... we ahve 20% more displacement and like 10% more power if not mor elike 5%... sorry but thats not cool...

-me

[z28punk]

you know its actually sad that 99/01 cobras and 03-04 mach 1's come so close to an ls1... we ahve 20% more displacement and like 10% more power if not mor elike 5%... sorry but thats not cool...

not really sad, they chose more valves to move the air, we chose more displacement.

[Roastem]

Uncharged 4.6 4V motors have no low end grunt. You got to drop the clutch above 3K just to break traction in first. Whereas with the LS1, you can just roll the throttle and boil 'em off.

The N/A 4V Cobra motor is strictly top end power. (above 4K really)

That is why they added a roots blower instead of a centrifugal to the 03 term, to help that engine where it needed it most, below 3K. (where most of the driving is done)

An SS cannot outhandle an 03. There was an article done somewhere on it. They raced and 03 at an autocross vs. an 02 SS, both stock. The 03 edged it out.

The 99-01 Cobra's are better handlers than the 03 b/c of the huge weight difference.

[7camaro7]

The solid rear SS IS more of a drag car instead of road track kinda car, right? I think just the 03 and 04 cobras happen tho have the best of both worlds in this situation. Otherwise both engines N/A the SS has got the power and the cobra has the handles. Is it really that big of a difference in the handling though??

[Roastem]

I don't think it is a huge difference. Nothing a good driver can't overcome. The IRS is just a better suspension design, thus its incorporation on our beloved corvette for many years now.

[7camaro7]

as long as you keep all 4 tires planted the same amount then you shouldn't be able to tell a difference right?

[Roastem]

Well, when you take hard turns in a live axle, there is going to be considerably less pressure on the inside rear tire, whereas on an IRS setup the rear wheels act "independently" from each other, so there will be less of a pressure difference.

I am no automotive expert, but I think that is the inherent advantage of an IRS setup.

[7camaro7]

some cars stay really flat on turns when they're set up for it with the solid rear. I guess it just depends on the set up

[ShelbyGLHS]

It really comes down to the driver. Done alot of roadcourse. With Konis the camaro does well at the track.

Lots of guys run Mustangs at the track but not many F bodies...

C'Mon everyone, do a track day this year! :usa:

[7camaro7]

I'd love to whip the SS around some curves and leave some black marks:drivin:

[bluefields88]

I'm too afraid I'll break something and not be able to afford it. : (

[7camaro7]

in auto xing you don't really have to worry about it because you don't really end up going that fast. Its more about control and steering while going as fast as possible. I saw one once and I don't think you'd go more than 35 or 40 on it. In my 6spd I'd just probably use 1st or 2nd in the whole thing. If first has too much power I could use 2nd also

[Wesman]

I'm too afraid I'll break something and not be able to afford it. : (

Break something from cornering hard?? Nahh.

Only thing you gotta worry about the the 10 bolt if you're drag racing on DR's or slicks and dropping the clutch, besides that the chassis and suspension are very solid for racing. You're not going to break a solid axle from taking a corner too fast, same goes for the beefy A-Arm setup up front ;)

[TASWEET SS]

They hit it right on the money with the review. I owned both for at least a year, and modded both.

Mike, I could drive that 01 Cobra for 5 minutes on twisty country roads going over a 100 mph and it stayed stuck like glue, but every time I try to take a curve flying with the Z I nearly sh*t my pants. Its like at any SECOND I am gonna be sucking down ditchbank.

hey,mike, if you lower the camaro,1.5inches with eibach progressive rate lowering springs,it really sucks down to the twisted roads with much better performance, plus it looks bitch-n, bring it on stang ABBY

[Roastem]

I would lower it, but I have SLP long tubes, and they scrubbed like hell before I threw on the 18's. Now they only scrub every now and then on really high speedbumps and stuff. If I lower, it will go right back to scrubbing on every damn bump in the road.

[AKIRA]

Ok back to the topic...

Lets say for instance, a person wanted to buy a newer cobra (with the charger), but couldnt afford it, neither the insurance....Would getting an 01 Cobra be one step behind the 03 Cobra? Meaning, are they at least better than the 96-97s?

As far as the article goes, its funny how the Cobra is more expensive even though its a lil slower, has less power and gets worse gas mileage.

[Wesman]

you know its actually sad that 99/01 cobras and 03-04 mach 1's come so close to an ls1... we ahve 20% more displacement and like 10% more power if not mor elike 5%... sorry but thats not cool...

-me

That extra displacement comes in the form of much more low end torque (the 4.6 4V N/A motors don't have much of anything below like 5K as far as V8's go) and more potential for power with mods. And yet even with more displacement, the LS1 still gets better fuel economy than the Mach 1 or 99-01 Cobras. There is no downside to that extra displacement.

[Roastem]

Ok back to the topic...

Lets say for instance, a person wanted to buy a newer cobra (with the charger), but couldnt afford it, neither the insurance....Would getting an 01 Cobra be one step behind the 03 Cobra? Meaning, are they at least better than the 96-97s?

As far as the article goes, its funny how the Cobra is more expensive even though its a lil slower, has less power and gets worse gas mileage.

The 01 Cobra is the best N/A Cobra that has been produced, except for the 00 Cobra R.

Add a supercharger to it, and it will smoke a stock 03. I wish I had never gotten rid of that car. It was sweet.

[minesfasterx2]

The suspension setup on a GT and the 01 Cobra is completely different. I rode in an 02 GT, and it does not handle as well as my Z, much less the 01 snake.

I got 295/35/18 Toyo Proxes T1R tires. They are over 10 inches wide. I know because I laid my sausage across the tire and it almost reached to the other side. ;)

wow thats pretty dirt.