Ford Mustang Cobra R Vs Terminator: How Do The Engines Compare?

In the world of limited edition Ford Mustangs, along with Shelby, terms like SVT and Cobra garner a lot of attention. Combine SVT and Cobra in the same sentence and Mustang people really start listening. Ford has produced a number of SVT Mustang Cobras over the years, but few have been as special as the Cobra R models, or the affectionately nicknamed Cobra Terminator.

According to the 50 Years of Mustang Milestones timeline, Ford introduced its first SVT Mustang Cobra R in 1993 with a planned production run of 107 units that sold out before production even started. The first Cobra R had a 5.0L V8 rated at 235 horsepower. The Mustang Cobra R made another appearance in 1995 with a limited production run of 250 units powered by a familiar 351-cubic-inch V8 rated at 300 horsepower.

The most powerful version of the SVT Mustang Cobra R came in 2000 with another limited-production run of 300 units. With a 5.4L V8 under the hood, the 2000 SVT MustangCobra R was rated at 385 horsepower. Before we move on, keep in mind the SVT Mustang Cobra R engines were all naturally aspirated, no turbos or superchargers were applied to any of them.

Ford produced nearly 20,000 SVT Mustang Cobras from 2003 to 2004. During the SN95 Mustang design phase, the version dubbed "Arnold Schwarzenegger" was chosen for production, leading to the 2003-2004 SVT Cobra's Terminator nickname. The Terminator Mustang was powered by a 390-horsepower supercharged 4.6L V8.

Automakers have historically underreported horsepower ratings to avoid a multitude of problems ranging from increased insurance premiums for customers to lawsuits over false advertising. It seems no one is mad when the high-performance sports car they bought has more power than advertised. One case in particular suggests that Ford exaggerated the power of the naturally aspirated 4.6L V8 under the hood of the 1999 SVT Mustang by as much as 35 horsepower, according to MotorTrend.

The 5.0L V8 in the 1993 Mustang Cobra R had a rating of 235 horsepower. However, dyno testing of an unmodified 1993 Mustang Cobra R nearly 30 years after its production revealed 222 horsepower at the rear tires. A simple online conversion calculator shows the 222 rear-wheel horsepower value is closer to 260 hp at the crankshaft. The 1995 SVT Cobra R is closer with a dyno-measured 260 rear-wheel horsepower, equating to roughly 305 hp at the crankshaft.

The 385 horsepower ratings for the 2000 SVT Mustang Cobra R nearly match the 391 horsepower measured on the dyno at the rear tires. Likewise, the supercharged 4.6L present in the 2003-2004 Mustang Cobra Terminator posted 394 rear-wheel horsepower on the dyno, a number very close to its advertised 390-hp rating. For those of you keeping score at home, those values respectively translate to a calculated 460 and 464 horsepower at the crankshaft.

[Featured image by Stephen Foskett via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]