[REDSC400]

Hi Matt:
First off the WRX is a real nice car. My daily driver is a Lexus SC400 (1993), I have 110K miles on my V8 280 HP SC (a V8 Supra in Lexus clothing) and she is still going strong. A quick and luxurious ride.

I am new to the Cobra, only having it for 2 months now but here are my observations on the car, many of which are well documented in early original Cobra road tests....

First off, at this stage (early) I can only "take" the car for about one and one half hours of steady driving. It is so much fun and fast and scary and work, that you just have to stop and rest and kind of roll you neck and loosen up. After a few minutes, you get to smiling and you and your significant other look at each other and say.... "are you ready?"... and then there you go.

In short .. the Cobra is NOT a civilized car.

The noise, heat and wind that are ever-present in the big block S/C with side pipes are simultaneously a plus and minus.... and a reason for the rest breaks noted above.

In short .. the Cobra is a brutal car.

The ride is actually better than you would suspect in a short wheelbase car. The acceleration is utterly breath-taking as is the decible cacaphony of intake suction, exhaust exhume, engine whine and ever present G force thwacking your belly button against your spine.

In short .. the Cobra is scary fast.

The paint job on my car is showroom near perfect even after 11 years and 9K miles. As such, every time I drive it I am in utter anticipation of an errant rock or ding-making somthing or other. Also the car has never ever been in the rain or snow or even on a wet road. So as you might suspect, it has been babied.

In short .. the Typical Cobra is not an errand car... we do not in general get to drive them enough or as much as we all would like. (I could take flack for that statement but from what I can see this is true... mandated by our restricted insurance policies which are common to most of us).

In short ... we do not drive our Cobras enough, they are not lockable.

No true Cobra owner would have a RADIO or Sound system in their car. (I may get flack for this too) but IMHO you are much better off with a good portable pocket CD player and earphones rather than battling the Cobra exhaust noise, ignition RFI, and engine noise as well as weighing down the car with monster speakers, etc. (the Cobra is small and does not lend itself to these sound system accomodations).

In Short ... the Cobra makes for a poor sound stage or rolling boom box.

The Cobra is a bit of a nusance for the new Cobra owner. We do not know how to deal with the constant thumbs ups we get, the constant similes, the constant finger pointing, the ooogling, the questions, the cars pulling into a gas station just to ask you what it is.. or folks stopping to take pictures... the occasional police man pulling you over to ask what it is.... etc etc etc this NEVER seems to end. Having been a Vette owner and owner of many other sports cars, this NEVER happen ANY WHERE near as frequently as it does in the Cobra. I and others are constantly amazed at this.... sheesh.

In Short ... the Cobra attracts alot of attention which can be both positive and negative. You are the judge of that.

In summary... I have the best of all worlds, as do most Cobra owners, a luxo sporte coupe that is smooth and fast for a daily driver and a raucus, rabid, fast, brutal nasty and gorgeous roadster that takes YOU prisoner for life.

I would not have it any other way....

Cheers