Sunday Driver: Things Just Got Real

Things just got real, indeed. A 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra aka the Terminator is in the Soridas stable. He is even dressed in the appropriate Terminator colors. If you are well acquainted with these cars there is not much more to say. Nevertheless, if you have read my postings over time you will know that I have owned a number of Ford Special Vehicle Team offerings. These Mustangs were quietly always #1 on my list of wants in the period and up to current day. The long chase is over; to encapsulate it metaphorically: Captain Ahab wins in this universe.

Over the past 20 years, I had 2 previous opportunities to purchase a Terminator Cobra. Succinctly speaking, in 2006 I saw one in DaSilva Red, but Ford calls it Redfire Clearcoat Metallic. In consultation with Placido DaSilva, the mastermind behind Granite Man Logistics, I passed on it because it had clutch issues. The consolation prize was that I still had my Contour SVT. Opportunity #2 came in 2013 when a Mineral Grey Clearcoat Metallic Terminator came up for sale. I passed because of a combination of family practicality and work responsibilities. So, consolation prize #2 was trading my Focus SVT for a 2013 Focus ST, or FoST. After that, with the exception of a brief fling with a Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe, I was all set. Then for sound financial and practicality reasons, we downsized and sold the FoST and Paquito, and the Legendary El Guapo entered the chat.

After 3 years, I was craving the manual experience again. So, I "window-shopped" because I also just like looking at cars. The market here seemed to have dried up for these cars with very few offerings that were almost exclusively convertibles, so searches usually involved doing national searches. However, in the last few months I started seeing more of these cars around here for sale. Take it as you will, but I realized The Universe was letting me know, here is your 3rd, and perhaps final shot, at a Terminator Cobra. I had been seriously looking at 2007-2009 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500's, a descendant if you will, of these cars. However, when this Terminator came up, I could not pass a 3rd time. So, I took The Universe's suggestion and pulled the trigger on the phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range.

My brother Domhnall, from the consulting firm The Lyons Group (TLG) escorted me most expeditiously in his (no doubt) future classic and underappreciated street weapon, Ford Taurus SHO, to a town south of Boston that Captain Ahab would have been familiar with. Then, there it was. Man, these cars have always looked right. Contextually speaking, a confluence of several factors makes this deal special for me. 1. The car industry's move to widely adopt electrification; 2. The dwindling supply of new or used affordable, fun manual transmission cars. 3. The prevalence of driver distracting technology. There is a lot to say about these factors that involve society, class, culture, business, economics and so on. However, more on that another time.

I had sold all my SVT or SVT derived vehicles over time, but pretty sure this one is going to stay put. All things considered, I do not think the word heirloom is too strong when it comes these Mustangs particularly if you like American Sports/Muscle cars. So, I welcome Chief Uraeus Ramensun Destro, or just plain ole' Destro, to the family. He and El Guapo will become fast friends. In the words of Grace A. Lyons of TLG, "You named your car Destro?" That is correct. But again, more on that another time. There is driving to be done. Hasta la vista, baby.