The AC Cobra was an awesome race car. But it had a weakness at fast flat out circuits. The problem was a lack of aerodynamics. Enter 23 year old engineer Peter Brock who ripped off the Cobra body and slipped on a new curvy shell. Instantly the car was 30 miles per hour faster and it took victory from Ferrari at Le Mans.
Only six originals were ever built so of course now they’re worth millions. But there is a cheaper alternative. If you’ve got 85,000 pounds around in a biscuit barrel somewhere you can buy one of these. A Superformance Le Mans Coupe.
Essentially it’s a replica built by the same South African company who makes the noble M12. It’s had a few crucial updates to help it compete against today’s super cars. And who better to do the redesign than the Coupe’s original creator, Peter Brock.
He’s made it slightly bigger than the one he made over 40 years ago but it’s still utterly gorgeous. It now has an all new modern day chassis complete with safety features like side impact protection. It certainly looks the part but does the driving experience capture the essence of its ancestor?
The early signs are good. Very good. Okay, you do have to turn the key, press the clutch, deactivate the immobilizer, and flip the switch, but finally the 6.6 V8 erupts into life. And if that noise doesn’t put a smile on your face and a fire in your belly, you are watching the wrong show.
For a mean muscle car it is surprisingly tame at low speeds. And a manly physique is not needed to man-handle the steering wheel. You do need a bit of muscle to change gears on a long beefy throne but it’s a good thing because it makes you feel part of the car.
Perhaps the biggest thing that you do notice though is its sheer size. It takes up all of its road allocation. And the bulbous bulges in the bonnet take up almost all of my forward visibility. But then I am [inaudible].
The V8 produces 500 horsepower and 60 comes up in just 3.9 seconds. That’s quicker than any new Ferrari. The acceleration just goes on and on and on basically until your nerves give out. But there is one performance figure that hits you right between the eyes and that is its top speed. Now bearing in mind that this car’s shape was conceived 40 years ago this Le Mans Coupe will do 207 miles an hour. Apparently some nut approved it on a public road in South Africa.
Now I think it’s prudent to point out at this particular juncture in full economy it can get anything from 20 miles per gallon to 8. Not that I really care.
The chassis was developed by NASCAR specialists so unlike many muscle cars this one isn’t just about straight line performance. It can’t quite match the feel of a Porsche or Ferrari when it comes to handling. But think how much cooler you’ll look ragging around the bend in one of these.
The best thing about the Superformance Coupe is that it will be a rare sight on British roads with only 10 right-hand drive versions being imported each year. So if you want something highly individual, sensationally noisy, and frighteningly fast, the Le Mans is the place to go.
