Nick Carl's 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Convertible
Mustang enthusiast buys mint-condition 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra 'Terminator' with only 534 miles.
Nick Carl, the man who owns the perfect manual transmission Ford Super Duty pickup, now owns the perfect 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra. And I do mean “perfect,” because the independent rear suspension-equipped, first-ever supercharged Mustang only has 534 miles on the odometer. Plus, it still has the factory plastic wrap on the convertible top, seats, and steering wheel. Just look at this incredible “New Edge” SN-95-generation Mustang.
Carl messaged me on Facebook a few weeks back. “Hey David! Picked up something you may like to see.” Then he dropped the images you see in this article. “A non dealer prepped 03 termi cobra with 534 miles on it.”
If that line didn’t cause your jaw to hit the floor, allow me to translate: This 534 mile example of a Ford Mustang is the “Terminator.” This was the code name for the 2003 to 2004 SVT Cobra model, which was special because it not only got the independent rear suspension that all 1999 to 2004 Mustang Cobras got (this was the first time a Mustang came with anything but a solid rear axle), but it also got a supercharger.
That blower stood atop a modified version of the 4.6-liter modular V8 found in the Mustang and darn near every other Ford vehicle back in the 1990s and early 2000s. While the modular V8 was never the most exciting engine of all time, the hand-built one in 2003 and 2004 Mustang Cobras cranked out 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Those are ridiculous figures for 2003; at the time, the Ferrari 360 Modena made just 10 horsepower more but over 100 lb-ft fewer!
Carl, a 26-year-old welder, has been a Mustang fan for a long time, having owned a 1996 Mustang Cobra, a 1997 Mustang V6, a 2003 Mustang GT, a 2011 Mustang GT, a 2015 Mustang GT, and a 2019 Mustang GT. (He’s also had a BMW M3, Ford Raptor, the aforementioned stick shift F-250, and some race cars).
His holy grail, though, has always been the Terminator. So earlier this year, when he spotted this 534-mile example on CarGurus, he went for it.
(photo credit: Nick Carl)
