Chevrolet Corvette vs. Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

Behold, the epitome of current born-in-the-USA musclecar drop-tops made by Ford and GM. We're talking about high-horsepower, lotsa-torque, kick-in-the-pants convertibles.

God bless America.

Ever since these automakers brought forth the original versions (1953 for the Vette and 19641/2 for the Mustang), convertibles have been a large part of their respective market domination. Model-year '03 has been significant for both, and each is on the verge of change. The Corvette celebrates 50 years as you read this, and the next-generation model (C6) is well past the drawing board stage. Mustang has outlasted its former rivals, Camaro and Firebird, and the first completely new version of Ford's ponycar since 1979 is also currently under development.

In celebration of the Vette's five decades, there's a special edition that offers Anniversary Red paint, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, shale interior, champagne-colored wheels, and 50th-Anniversary badging and embroidery throughout.

Ford's niche-line chestbeater--SVT--has tweaked the venerable SN95 platform into the most powerful Mustang Cobra ever produced: 390 supercharged horsepower and an equal amount of twist to the rear wheels. It has 40 more ponies and 15 lb-ft of torque over the Vette--but does it translate to the pavement?

Now that you're primed for the performance numbers, take a cold shower. We'll get to them later. The first question is how do these ragtops stack up? Answer: Closer than you think.