Introduced in the 1960s, the Cobra was the vision of a single man. Carroll Shelby asked British automaker AC Cars if they would be interested in a Ford-sourced V8 for the AC Ace, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Manufactured to this day, the Cobra became the stuff of legends when Carroll shoehorned the 427 (7.0L) big-boy V8 in the engine bay. Stand-up comedian and actor Bill Cosby had one, and the car scared him so badly that chassis number CSX 3303 was returned to Shelby American. As fate would have it, the throttle stuck, and the car took a dip in the Pacific Ocean's waters.
Now worth millions of dollars at auction, the Cobra 427 is outside the reach of many. This replica, however, is worth your attention because the clock shows merely 935 miles (1,505 kilometers), and the asking price is $69,900.
Offered by RK Motors Charlotte with tons of documentation and dyno results, this Backdraft-built roadster takes its mojo from an Iconic 427 that features a Dart 351W stroker short-block assembly. Based on the venerable Windsor V8 succeeded by the Modular family of engines, the free-breathing mill belts out 475 ponies and 506 pound-feet (686 Nm) of tire-torturing torque.
The fury hiding under the hood is joined by a sturdy five-speed manual transmission from Tremec and lots of BMW-sourced bits and pieces. Those include the limited-slip differential, rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, and independent suspension for the ladder frame.
Finished in Blaze Metallic Orange and augmented by Pewter racing stripes, the fiberglass body shell is accompanied by Halibrand-style wheels with knock-off hubs, side exhaust tips, and a fair bit of polished chrome. Assembled in December 2018 as a 2019 model, this Cobra replica is all business on the inside as well, thanks to diamond-stitched leather upholstery.
A first-class sports car that costs eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray money, chassis number AE9BMAAH4J1MT1122 is pretty darn perfect as a boulevard cruiser and for a blast on a winding road.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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