03-04 Cobra vs LS3 C6 vs S550 GT

Hey guys, I've been considering getting rid of my 5.0 lately for a new project. I've always had a thing for 03-04 Termi's and for 08+ C6's with the LS3. Have any of you guys had any prior experience with the Cobra or C6 platform and if so, how would you compare it your '15+ 5.0?

Thanks in advance!

I'm a pretty big fan of the 03/04. Instant torque and very raw feeling makes it feel like a real muscle car. At the same time, if I was moving back to the States I would probably get a 08+ C6 because I wanted a Corvette.

Friend of mine had an 03 with a Whipple. The seating position sucks bad. I would never be able to get comfortable in one. I had an 06 Z06 and the seating position was great and you could definitely feel how light the car was in any type of handling maneuver. You said LS3 C6, but may I suggest a C6Z. Once you get used to the power, then heads and cam it.

Are you considering price because those three are different price ranges. The S550 will be the most expensive and a C6 less and the Cobra significantly less.

If money is not involved I would rather have an S550, I drive a C6 now and I would trade it for an S550 if it were an even swap.

Where are you finding Cobras for cheaper than C6's? I like my S550, just getting a little bored. I have yet to drive a Terminator or C6, but I keep hearing that the seating position in the Cobra sucks.

SD_GT said:

Where are you finding Cobras for cheaper than C6's? I like my S550, just getting a little bored. I have yet to drive a Terminator or C6, but I keep hearing that the seating position in the Cobra sucks.

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Cobra's seats and seating position aren't the best. The shifter is also wonky. Those New Edge interiors were rough, as were the SN95 interiors. It still is workable but going from an S550 to a Cobra... lol you better really know what you want. I still think the 03-04 Terminator had one of the best sounding engines ever with the right setup.

You can get them with decent mileage (30-40k) for $25k. The C6 I really don't think looks good unless you get a widebody Grand Sport/Z06/ZR1. Even the Grand Sports with higher mileage will be mid $30s. A buddy of mine has about $10k into his Grand Sport with a blower and catted headers, makes 560WHP and is pretty awesome.

I actually prefer the Cobra seating position to the C6, but agree the stock shifter is not great. The Cobra is a very raw feeling car I would want as a weekend car because it feels / sounds / looks like a muscle car. There is literally no refinement and you feel every bit of power. The blower whine is addicting and the torque is instant. My car made 503/514 with a ported blower and 2.76/4lbs combo. God I miss that car...

04SloSnake said:

I actually prefer the Cobra seating position to the C6, but agree the stock shifter is not great. The Cobra is a very raw feeling car I would want as a weekend car because it feels / sounds / looks like a muscle car. There is literally no refinement and you feel every bit of power. The blower whine is addicting and the torque is instant. My car made 503/514 with a ported blower and 2.76/4lbs combo. God I miss that car...

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I agree about that view of the cobra. Pretty on point. The c6 has an odd feeling to the pedal too, it almost feels like the first inch of accelerator travel doesn't do anything. I adapted to it but... just an oddity.

I dont miss my 04 cobra or 14 gt500. While i liked them at their time i sure as hell wouldnt go back, at least as a daily driver and sell an s550 for one. Id stick with your s550. If you're bored mod it. You have plenty of blower choices and some turbo choices. There is always Na if thats your thing too.

As for the ls3, its definitely a good engine but if youre just going to mod it, its inferior for mods compared to a coyote. Anyone says different, they either are misinformed, prefer push rod engines or a fanboy.

Ive never seen the allure of vettes. Viper or bust, just my .02

mustang_guy said:

I dont miss my 04 cobra or 14 gt500. While i liked them at their time i sure as hell wouldnt go back, at least as a daily driver. Id stick with your s550. If you're bored mod it. You have plenty of blower choices and some turbo choices.

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The Cobra is definitely not daily driver material, I tried it for awhile.

04SloSnake said:

The Cobra is definitely not daily driver material, I tried it for awhile.

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It was when new, well it was to me at least. By todays standards, its just dated and inferior. Its still a great car though despite being primitive. Its just a hard car to miss in my opinion with better cars available now.

I appreciate all the input guys. I never intended to buy the S550, it just so happened that I stumbled across what I thought was a good deal at the time and jumped on it. I was in the market for a C6 LS3 (doubt I could find a c6z in my price range) or an 03-04 Cobra. I didn't test drive either of them before buying my current GT and I think that's what left me wondering. There's something exquisitely raw about driving a Whipple'd Termi (from what I hear). So before I go any further into modding my 5.0, I want to make sure I'm 100% decided on this car over the other two.

If I could swing a C6Z, it wouldn't even be a question. I wouldn't be driving any of the above. Haha.

No experience with the Vette, but I sold my Whippled 04 terminator with full Maximum Motorsports suspension and full exhaust to get the S550 with full intent of supercharging it after feeling how much more refined my wife's 2014 5.0 Track Pack felt. Things I miss about the cobra: cable-driven throttle, amazing throttle response & power delivery, exhaust note, rode like it was on rails. Things I don't miss about it: Cheap interior materials, NVH, beyond stiff clutch pedal, afterthought IRS setup (stock is too mushy and has no road feedback; modified to resolve stock issues quickly gets too harsh; PITA to work on).

Well, to follow up on this thread I finally went and test drove a C6. Regular, ol' base model 6MT LS2. Holy shit, that car was slow. I've pulled base model LS2's, LS3's and Grand Sports but I never realized just how slow an old LS2 C6 actually is. The removable top was awesome and the transmission was nowhere near as notchy as my MT-82 so it wasn't all bad.

In conclusion, when it comes to the C6 - Wide body or no body. Lol. Yeah, the Grand Sport isn't super fast stock but that wide body is something else. Grand Sport - Hell yes. C6Z06 - HELL YES. Base LS2/LS3 - Ehh, I'll pass for now.

Now I just need to find a local Terminator coupe to test drive..