Since 1964, the Mustang has enjoyed sustained success, but not every era of the original pony car receives the same adoration from enthusiasts. As with any vehicle, there are more popular models. Moreover, for enthusiasts entrenched in the previous models, change can be tough.

Those who have not been fans of the SN-95 become fans because of its execution. I admit, that makes me smile. The car puts respect back on the SN-95… — Brandon Ennett

When the SN-95 Mustang debuted back in 1994, its swoopy curves and aerodynamic styling were a shock to the system. Many believe it wasn’t muscular or American enough. With time, many came to accept these cars, but they don’t seem to enjoy the same adulation as the models that came before or after.

Brandon Ennett’s 1996 SVT Mustang Cobra is a sight to behold in Yellow Blaze tri-coat custom paint. It features paint-matched mirrors, import wheel flares, SVO side skirts, a Shinoda Cobra chin spoiler, and a host of carbon fiber accents, including a Sigala carbon fiber roof and a Sigala carbon fiber wiper cowl. Setting the stance is a suspension fortified with an AJE tubular K-member, tubular control arms, and adjustable front coilovers up front. In-back custom upper double-adjustable control arms work with Merrilat upper torque boxes, BMR lower control arms, Viking Crusader double-adjustable rear coilovers, and a Racecraft, Inc. anti-roll bar. (Photos courtesy of Brandon Ennett)

That said, when you take one look at Brandon Ennett’s stunning 1996 SVT Mustang Cobra, it’s difficult to imagine a red-blooded Mustang fan not appreciating a car so clean and powerful.

“…I first saw this car back in 2019 at Ponies in the Smokies. I knew it was going to be there because the previous owner at the time was posting pics of the preparation. I would see pics of the car being rotisserie painted and every line tucked,” he told us. “So, PITS arrived, and when I saw the car for the first time, it seemed to have an aura of its own. The car had a gold glow around it in my mind. As much as I wanted to resist it, it called to me. Yeah, you can laugh, but it did. I circled back and forth for a while but finally succumbed to its beauty.”

With beauty that was more than sheet metal deep, the construction of this Cobra delivered a level of precision and detail that was both attractive and inspirational. More than just another fast Mustang, its design and execution elevated the car to a place Brandon hoped his rides could achieve.

“The level of detail, precision, and thought that went into this car is what attracted me to it. I didn’t care about horsepower or anything superficial like most car lovers. The dedication is what attracted me,” he said. “You would think that someone who could build a car like this might be a bit arrogant. The previous owner, John Coates, was so far from that. He was and is so humble. At that moment, this car became my inspiration going forward on whatever car I had.”

Long before he put his name on the title of this SN-95 Cobra, Brandon became intrigued by performance cars as a child — even if his defacto mentor wasn’t the most open to teaching what these cars were all about.

“I would say that I got my attraction to cars when I was in elementary school. My uncle used to tinker with cars all the time. He was more of a Chevy guy, which I despised. He wasn’t very helpful in teaching me much,” Brandon reflected. “I think that was because he always used to yell at me when I asked questions. I grew up next to my grandma’s house, and he lived there. He was always so mean and short-tempered with me, so I never got the chance to truly learn anything. So, I gave up the idea of ever owning a nice car that I can call my own.”

That might be why his first car was a modest machine, but it was the manual transmission that sealed the deal and refueled his enthusiasm. It was this stepping stone that led them down the path to a performance car.

“I got older, graduated high school, and went to the military. I got my first car at 18 years old in 1990. I was in Orlando, Florida, and had just graduated from boot camp. It was a 1987 Ford Escort GT. At that time, I thought I had something awesome. It was a manual, and I didn’t know how to drive a manual yet. Let’s just say I learned very quickly,” Brandon said. “A couple of buddies of mine from boot camp took me out on the highway to learn with oncoming traffic. After many stalls and bucking to get out of first, I learned to master a manual. It was a fun car, but I wanted something with a little more bite for a stick shift. At this moment is when the love of cars began.”

The underside of the car is paint-matched, and out back, it carries a ’03-’04 Cobra baffled gas tank upgraded with a Lethal Performance fuel system with three 535-lph pumps that feed the 220-lb/hr flow-matched Siemens Deka fuel injectors up front. The four-digit power fed by this fuel system travels through a Lentech Strip Terminator 4R70W automatic with an overdrive and a transbrake. The automatic makes use of a non-lockup converter with a 4200-rpm stall and delivers thrust to a back-braced and fully welded Moser Fab 9 rearend with an aluminum modular center section, 35-spline axles, a Wavetrac locking differential, and 3.27 gears.

Fortunately, his love of cars overcame the rocky start, and once he started his life on solid footing, Brandon realized the drive of owning a nice ride. During the peak era of the Fox Mustang, it’s no surprise that the first car to fit that bill was an aero-nose Fox.

“After getting the ’87 GT, I went through many iterations of cars at various stages. I think that before I found my car now, I have had over 60 vehicles over the last ’15-’17 years. Some of those include several other SN-95s and Fox-bodies (Mustang GTs and Cobras alike), Dodge a Neon SRT4, and various Nissans ranging from a 300ZX to a 370Z,” Brandon shared. “I suffer from ADHD, so I get a car, drive it for a while, and I get bored. I also suffer from autism, and that, mixed with ADHD, can cause many issues for me when it comes to what I want to do with a car. I modify them and drive them until the passion for that car goes away. To me, there’s nothing worse than driving a car that’s not exciting anymore. Sometimes, they were somewhat built, and I added to them or built up to my standards. Either way, it’s my passion.”

That passion moved forward to the swoopy SN-95 stallions just as Ford brought out its retro-themed S197 Mustangs. Not only did the early cars in this era still embrace pushrod power, but they were also not the trendy choice, especially at that time.

“My first SN-95 was in 2009, I believe. It was a 1995 Cobra. I was so happy to have that last year of the 5.0. The SN-95 body appealed to me because it had the look of a shark to me because of the spoiler, and the fog lights reminded me of the beady eyes on a shark,” Brandon said. “Yeah, I know that might sound odd, but that’s how I saw it. I also was drawn to it because, for some reason, at that time — and today — the community didn’t appreciate this body style. That resonated with me because I felt the same way personally in my own life. So, I adopted the SN-95 as the black sheep of the Mustang community and embraced it as my body of choice. If anyone understood not being appreciated, it was me, and it seemed like the car chose me just as I chose it.”

While a pushrod-powered model is cool, the SN-95 era hit its stride when Ford’s Special Vehicle Team dropped a Four-Valve 4.6-liter engine between the shock tower. It wasn’t the engine alone that motivated Brandon to park this Yellow Blaze beauty in his garage, however.

“Fast forward five years later, I just so happened to reach out to John to check on the car. He said he recently bought it back from a kid who had mistakenly broken the driveshaft. So, while repairing and upgrading the car, I jokingly asked John, ‘Would you be willing to sell me the car?’” Brandon said. “Now, mind you, I knew full well in my mind that I was just making conversation. No way he would be willing to sell it after just getting in back. John’s reply was, ‘Let me talk it over with my wife.’ For that moment, time froze. I was like, ‘Is this going to happen?’ Less than 24 hours later, John agreed to sell me the car, and the rest is history.”

Finding a car that exceeded the level of detail he could have hoped for, Brandon never actually thought he would own this fully realized project. However, when he mentioned it in passing, things took a turn in his favor.

“The car mechanically is a work of art for sure. I wanted to make sure that I could protect the look as much as possible. The roads where I live are horrible. Here, there’s construction going on everywhere and hardly any level roads whatsoever. I’m very OCD, and nothing gets me more upset than a dirty car,” Brandon explained. “I decided to do a full paint protection film on the car for two reasons. One, the PPF I have is self-healing. If damaged, it will heal itself when properly cared for.  Secondly, no one I know has fully PPF’d a car this old. My detailer told me there wasn’t even a template for the car, so it had to be custom-cut and fitted. Now, the car always looks like glass because it was paint-corrected and treated first. Then, the glossy PPF was installed over the top. Knowing that the paint will always be in tip-top shape has saved me many hours of stress trying to keep it clean. Best investment I have made on any vehicle, by far.”

Rolling on Billet Specialties Winlite or Signature billet wheels, Brandon’s Cobra throws out the anchor thanks to Wilwood 15-inch six-piston front brakes and Wilwood rear drag brakes set up with an emergency brake for 15-inch drag wheels. A Baer hydraboost master cylinder and custom braided stainless brake lines round out the braking system.

That PPF delivers protection for a full rotisserie-painted, body color-matched underside, its Yellow Blaze tri-coat custom paint is striking. It covers import wheel flares, SVO side skirts, and a Boss 351-style Shinoda rear spoiler. The bright hue is accented by several carbon fiber bits, including the wing struts, splitter rods, and custom apron panels. Further contrasting the paint are black Cobra and SVT badges.

Still rocking a Four-Valve 4.6-liter engine underhood, this Cobra packs a 1,003-horsepower bite courtesy of a Ford Performance Aluminator engine filled with ’03-’04 Cobra internals and topped by Terminator heads. A Sullivan intake fronted by a Wilson Manifolds 110mm throttle body inhales boost from a Big3 racing custom turbo kit with custom racing turbo headers fitted with Precision billet ball-bearing turbos.

“I haven’t made any upgrades to the car since buying it. I have only had the car for a couple of months. This car is so mechanically sound that it would be a travesty to mess with it. I see no purpose in tearing this car down to change anything. It’s already stupid fast for my taste, so trying to make it faster is moot to me. I have always had the mindset that I’m not going to waste time and money to go faster when there’s always someone faster than you at any time,” Brandon said.

As well-engineered as the car might be, you might assume there were still a lot of upgrades in the offing. However, it turns out there is just one thing that a car of this caliber needs for Brandon to enjoy it to the fullest. It is an option that anyone in a warm climate can appreciate.

“The only thing I plan on doing to make it more comfortable is adding air conditioning. The car has no air conditioning, and that’s the only thing missing,” he said. “Adding a traditional AC would warrant replacing the stock hood with a cowl hood. I am looking into some electric options for AC in the coming months. But until this car blows up, no other changes are required. I’m just going to enjoy it and the smiles that go with it.”

Among the moments that make him smile are when people who never really embraced the SN-95 platform reconsider their positions when they lay eyes on this Cobra.

“Well, the biggest reaction I get is that the car makes them rethink the SN-95 platform again,” Brandon said. “Most say the car is sexy, and its look is undeniable. Those who have not been fans of the SN-95 become fans because of its execution. I admit, that makes me smile. The car puts respect back on the SN-95.”

As fans of the SN-95 SVTs, that level of detail grabbed our attention during the Mustang Week 2024 car show. So much so that it earned a spot in the Ford Muscle Great 8, a single-eliminator contest voted for on the Ford Muscle Facebook page. So keep an eye out for stories on the other Great 8 contestants, and be sure to vote for your favorites.

The winning car owner will score a trip to Mustang Week Texas in April 2025, including a hotel room for four days, a VIP Package including a Golden Ticket (access to every event), a $500 gas card, and $500 for food and drinks. The winner will accept a Ford Muscle Great 8 winner trophy on stage at Mustang Week Texas. The winning vehicle will also be immortalized on a Mustang Week 2025 T-shirt.