There's also a school of thought among experienced Cobra owners that says don't skimp on the horsepower on your initial build. If you're a capable,sensible and responsible driver and also enjoy fast, powerful cars; you soon get used to a mildly powered Cobra. After a while, you end up wishing you had more for that adrenaline rush when you (gently) mash the throttle in an appropriate setting.
A stroked big block or even a big-inch Windsor can make 550+ docile, streetable horsepower easily without revving to the moon and
just because you have it doesn't mean you always have to use it. Practice judicious self and throttle control and I promise you the car won't suddenly fly out from under you and go skidding across the highway. For those who simply cannot grasp that the right foot controls the power, there's plenty of used Miatas out there that will absolutely refuse to break the rear end loose unless you're driving them on ice.
