Welcome to 1993. GM has just launched a redesigned Chevrolet Camaro and Firebird, though both were still built on the old F-body platform. As for the Ford Mustang, it rode on the Fox body platform, which was in service from 1979 until 2004, though it received a significant update in 1994. Just one model year away from launching the fourth generation Mustang, Ford found itself with a slight problem: those GM twins made the existing Mustang look bad, performance and spec wise. Something had to be done and fast.

So Ford wisely enlisted its SVT team for help. The result was the SVT Mustang Cobra, the latest profile of Motor Week's Retro Reviews. Powered by the familiar 5.0-liter V8, it had a grand total of 235 hp, a 30 hp increase over the GT. That was an impressive figure for the time, as was Mustang Cobra's performance.

Zero to 60 mph happened in 5.7 seconds (nearly a full second behind today's Focus RS) and a quarter-mile time of 14.5 seconds at 98 mph. Just under 5,000 examples were built and it was a coupe only. But aside from the upgraded engine and specs, the '93 Mustang Cobra didn't look all that different from a regular Mustang GT. There was a lightly restyled front valance, unique 17-inch wheels and a rear deck wing, but that's about it. The price tag? It started at $19,900, around $33,500 today when adjusted for inflation.