2007 Superformance Daytona Mk1 Coupe

Description

The original Anglo-American sports car, the Cobra was originally conceived, designed and developed by the legendary Texan Carroll Shelby, who took the pretty but underpowered Ac Ace and shoehorned in Ford's powerful new small-block V8. The combination of brute power in a simple, lightweight tubular chassis proved a winner on the racetrack and Shelby's Cobras were soon beating more fancied European competition both at home and on their home turf. The original Cobra roadsters were quick enough but on circuits like Daytona and Le Mans their poor aerodynamics hurt top speed so for the 1964 FIA GT Championship, Shelby and stylist Peter Brock developed a new weapon to take the fight to Ferrari's GTO, the Cobra Daytona Coupe, which dominated the series for two years running. Just six of these fearsome machines were built and today each is a coveted collector's piece, trading hands in the tens of millions. The Cobra Daytona has inspired a number of replicas and arguably the best hails from South Africa, the Superformance, the result of a collaboration between the original designer, Peter Brock, and Jim Price of Hi-Tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth. Hi-Tech already had experience building high quality 427 Cobra replicas but Price wanted to take this a step further, to redesign and develop the legendary Cobra Daytona to modern standards of performance and safety. Peter Brock brought together several of the engineers who created the original car and together they designed a totally state-of-the-art chassis with a fibreglass body that was the ultimate aerodynamic refinement of the original shape. It took over four years of continuous development before the Superformance was finally ready for production but the result was worth the wait. With modern brakes, 18-inch wheels and rubber, a six-speed Tremec T-56 transmission and tuned Ford 351 V8, the Superformance Daytona Coupe is a stunning package, both to look at and drive. Performance figures are truly astounding - when Road & Track tested one in March 2006 it set new records for both slalom and skid pan tests and returned a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 8.4 seconds, besting established supercars like the Dodge Viper and Corvette Z06. Carroll Shelby himself bestowed the ultimate honour by certifying all cars prior to his death and the Superformance Daytona Coupes are recognised by the Shelby American Club, each one listed in the SAAC Registry. As a tarmac rally car, the Superformance has few peers and yet manages to be a civilized, if devastatingly fast, road car.