From the outside Matt Snow's 1993 Cobra has the unassuming look of a nice 93 model with a hood. Under that skin, lurks a predator ready to feed on unsuspecting prey.

It’s no secret that high horsepower numbers impress and sell parts. Astounding times at the drag strip are both entertaining to read about and exciting to watch. The heroics of road course action as well can be just as thrilling for many of us. We all want a car that we can actually cruise around in on the street as well.

It wasn’t long ago though that you had to pick just one of the above listed aspects for your car. Today we are increasingly seeing cars that offer us the total package. These are cars that make astronomical levels of power for a street driven machine, yet can still cruise back and forth to the track with no problems. These same cars can also hang with some of the best high end cars, even those that are modified on, the road course, cutting corners with exceptional agility, and crushing the latest euro trash on the straight-a-ways. At the drag strip said cars can often go deep into nine second territory, with blazing trap speeds and little drama.

King of the Snakes

Snow's Cobra can do it all, Street, Strip and Road Course.

One such stellar example of a car that does all things well is the calling card of Snow Performance, the ’93 Cobra of company owner Matt Snow. Snow picked up this Cobra back in 2000 and it was intended from day one of his ownership to be Snow’s personal play toy. The car has been transformed from a decently powered but faded ’93 Cobra, to a barn burning, stealthy, and venomous street/strip/road course killing machine.

Doubling as a Mule

Snow has utilized the car since he purchased it as a test bed for the company’s products. Every Mustang lover worth his salt knows the significance of the ’93 Cobra. Knowing the car would draw attention on that fact alone, Snow set out to do what some Cobra collectors would find unthinkable.

“The first thing I did was have it painted,” Snow says. He then went about making more horsepower. With AFR 165 heads, a small supercharger and a Snow Performance water/methanol injection systems on board, the car was making 10 second passes at Mile High Raceway. If the Cobra were the car running at sea level or significantly lower elevations, it no doubt would have been deep into the 9’s.

Snow wanted more. So that engine was pulled in favor of a turbo charged combination. The turbo setup made 800 hp, but he was never comfortable with the feel of the combination.

Go Big or Go Home

Snow enlisted the help of House of Boost to pull out all the stops to give the snake some bigger and deadlier fangs. Snow managed to get his hands on a NASCAR truck series engine. The 358 cubic inch engine, capable of screaming to 9,000 rpm utilizes Yates heads, Jesel rockers, and a 12 quart dry sump system. “It’s a pretty trick setup, with a lot of cool parts,” says Snow.

Feeding the engine’s fury, is a ProCharger F2, cramming in over 20 psi of boost. This all with no intercooler, instead only Snow’s chemical approach of water-methanol injection. The combination was good for a solid 950 hp at the rear tires. As wild as that sounds though Snow still drives the car on the street with no issues.

As we mentioned earlier high horsepower cars are nothing new. However, Snow’s Cobra is one of those that is setting bar very high. Not wanting the car to just singular in purpose, the car’s suspension was updated throughout.

The front utilizes a custom fabricated K-member and A-arms. Out back there’s a panhard bar. Saleen lowering springs help bring the car down and give it the proper stance. This all amounts to a car that is good on both the road course, the street and the strip. Wearing sticky NT01’s Snow is a regular at the track, “The car handles well, but what we lack in handling against the European cars, we more than make up for with horsepower on the straight-a-way,” he says.

Boost cooling comes via a four nozzle Snow Performance Stage 3 kit. There’s also a 2 1/2 gallon tank and appropriate pump in the trunk to make sure the thirsty engine never runs low on Boost Juice.

Maintaining Appearance

Most will admit that the ’93 Cobra was a good looking car from the factory. While at the time it was produced it was the most powerful Fox body from Ford, it’s not exactly scorching by today’s standards. Snow wanted to keep the appearance as stock as possible. That custom K-member lowers the engine enough to allow for a very low slung cowl hood to be used. Widened but stock appearing Cobra wheels are also used on the car, further adding to the stealth affect.

With the hood open you quickly realize this snake has some serious fangs. Snow is running four nozzles for the water methanol injection system. “All that red tubing and nozzles give the engine a very exotic look to people who walk by it,” Snow says.

Not Done Yet

Shooting for 1.200 hp to the rear tires, Snow recently damaged the engine at the Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords dyno challenge. The F2 was cranked up to 30 psi of boost. On six cylinders though the car still managed a healthy 850 hp to the tires.

Snow is regrouping, preparing to swap cams, update the engine’s valve train, and install blower friendly pistons. He’s also received a front mount air to air intercooler from ProCharger, as well as a new blower from ProCharger. “Our goal is 1,200 hp at the tires for the street, most of the Chevy guys are making around 1,000 as the magic number, I’d like to beat that,” Snow says. We’ll keep you posted on when he does, we look forward to seeing the Snow Cobra on the road course and drag strip this year.