1996 Ford Mustang
Fourth generation · SN95 1994–2004
The SN95 platform, which returned curved styling to the Mustang from 1994 to 2004.
The 1996 model year
Overview
The engine era changed. Ford retired the pushrod 5.0 and dropped in the overhead-cam modular V8 — a 4.6 L SOHC for the GT and a twin-cam 4.6 L DOHC for the SVT Cobra. The exterior gained new vertical tri-bar taillights. A new powertrain meant new transmissions and a new sound, even though the SOHC GT initially matched the old 5.0 on paper. (Horsepower figures are SAE net.)
Specifications
- Engines
-
- 3.8 L Essex V6 (base) 150 hp
- 4.6 L SOHC modular V8 (GT) 215 hp
- 4.6 L DOHC modular V8 (SVT Cobra) 305 hp
- Transmissions
- 5-speed manual (T-5 V6 / T-45 V8), 4-speed automatic (4R70W)
- Body styles
- Coupe, Convertible
- Base price
- $15,180 (V6 coupe) ≈$30,300 today (inflation-adjusted) Original MSRP adjusted for inflation (CPI, 2024); not the car's current market/collector value. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (U.S. city average, all items), annual average.
- Production
- SVT Cobra: 7,496 coupes + 2,510 convertibles
Year over year
What changed
- The pushrod 5.0 V8 was replaced by the modular 4.6 L SOHC V8 in the GT.
- The SVT Cobra received the 4.6 L DOHC (four-cam) V8 — 305 hp.
- New tri-bar vertical taillights.
- The automatic became the 4R70W; the V8 manual became the Borg-Warner T-45.
- A limited Mystic color-shift paint option appeared on the Cobra (~2,000 cars).
Living with it
Reliability & ownership notes
- The 4.6 SOHC two-valve is a durable, long-lived engine; the DOHC Cobra unit is more complex and benefits from documented service history.
- Early modular V8s can develop intake-manifold and timing-chain-tensioner wear with mileage — check service records.
- Same SN95 body checkpoints (convertible seals, front-end rust).
Worth knowing
Notable
- First year of the 4.6 modular V8 — a clean break from the pushrod "5.0" lineage.
- The Mystic color-shifting Cobra is a sought-after one-year curiosity.
- Four-cam DOHC Cobra marks the start of the high-revving SVT character.
Sources
Other Fourth generation years
Explore the SN95 generation → All Fourth generation · SN95 years →