I've gone over 130 in the Cobra a few times and probably touched 140. If you know or can imagine what the roads are like on a small Caribbean island, you'll understand what a rush that would be. It feels like the adrenaline stays in my blood for hours afterwards! I would say that the hair on the back of my neck prickles up just thinking about it, but that would be a rotten lie since I have no hair there at all.

I doubt that I will do it again, though - even with no traffic around and very early in the morning, there's just too much to worry about at that speed other than keeping the car on the road. 100mph is easy though, and the car gets up there in no time. There's a stretch of semi-straight road just before I enter my neighborhood and I routinely blast up around 100 or so in 4th gear on my way home when conditions permit.

The Cobra is stable enough at speed and exhibits no bad manners when I brake or lift off in 4th gear. Lifting in 5th is not even an issue, as engine braking is minimal with a .68 gear ratio. I do have hood louvers - installed to vent underhood heat - but they are purported to counteract front end lift by venting pressure. The real problem is the uneven road surface - it ensures maximum pucker factor during high speed passes.

When I lived in Canada, I hit 250kph (155mph +-) in both of my 'vettes several times and on the big, wide, empty highways of Northern Alberta that was a yawn and a cakewalk compared to going fast in a Cobra down here.

I agree. My top speed was just before the slowest corner at Roebling Road, so the transition from max acceleration to max braking was very short. The keys are to be straight when you do it, and match the RPM to wheel speed when downshifting to avoid locking up the rear wheels.

Right On Tommy!
I don't know or understand how anyone could drive these beasties without matching RPM's when downshifting. Getting it right is essential to control.

160mp backdraft p51 4.6 superchaged and still pull hard : :

Not to mention that it sounds cool too :)

Been over 145 a couple times with my little motor and it was still pulling hard. Rode with a friend that has raced professionally and we were cruising at 135 for several miles just south of butterfield ranch. We were fully extending and compressing the shocks several points along the way.

...one reason why my track suspension has 800#/900# springs vs 500#/425# for the street.

163 mph on the speedo and by the math: 6,200 rpm, 5th gear, TKO 600 w/.82 ratio, Goodyear F1 315/35R17 (25.2" diameter per manufacturer), 3.46 rear ratio. Very loud, very windy, very P.O.'d wife. ;) Took about ten maybe fifteen seconds to accelerate to that speed from around 60. Was out playing with a buddy in his SL600. He was feeling froggy so I had to show him what an old Ford could do. Unfortunately for him (and probably fortunately for me), he petered out at 155 thanks to electronic governor. I was only pulling him slightly until his computer choked him back. Yes, it was on a public highway. No, there was not another car in sight.

Over 6000 rpm's in 4th gear with a 3:54 rear gear on Douglas Road south of Sacramento.

I got out of it real fast when the windshield cracked down the center, thought it was coming into the car with me.

151.1mph on the TWS tri-oval back when there was still a rut above the infield tunnel! This was with a pre MAF Mustang LX that the company that I was working for part time was building as a demonstrater.

Well duh!:LOL:

I miss those roads.

145mph, Gingerman Raceway while passing with a 90 degree turn coming into the front straight, that got the heart pumping.

Hey, you have to work them every now and then to keep the pistons in good shape, right? :LOL:

I miss the trips up to Julian as well. :(

Fastest Speed (closed course)
 

Cobra - 160 mph between the carousel and turn 7 at Sears Point during the 2010 SAAC meet. David Wagner was in the car and can vouch for it.

Ford GT - 185 mph on the front straight at the the last GT Rally at Miller Motor Sports Park

Had it up to 140+ a bunch of times on public highways (I would never drive that slowly on a track), and had a lot of rpms to go, but the gray hairs were approaching too quickly so I had to let up. :p

Something is not right, Math says 176 mph. :confused::confused::confused:

From his description it sounds like the speedo was pegged!

Fastest I've been in a Cobra was a hair over 160mph at Michigan International, I was probably 12 at the time. SAAC was there that year. That was in an AC COX 427, that's about all I remember. Really friggin' scary!

Not even close to "all of the pedal" racing against Hershal in his GT40 to 70 MPH ( that is all I will confess to ) on 71 East.

:LOL:

On the eastern part of Germany, on a highway (autobahn) with very light traffic, I drove between 125mph and 160 mph during half an hour, telling myself: "on this portion of the road, I shall not let the spedometer go under 125." This was the end of a long day (I had been on the road during 10 hours) , the sunset was beautiful but I put my headlight on so that drivers on the right lane could spot me more easily because the only thing I was sorrying a bit was a car switching from his right lane to my left lane without warning.
This was great but the fuel gauge decreased quickly.
I have a 2.88 rear end and a big block 482cu.in.