Sixty super cars like the Shelby Daytona Coupe were built to race rather than pose. This calm tailed Coupe version of the legendary Cobra was created to take on Ferrari’s finest at Le Mans. Only 6 of the road racers were ever built. And all are too precious and too compromised to be used on the road. But now there’s a modern interpretation. It’s a car that’s reunited those responsible for designing and developing those awesome 60’s racers.
Now utilizing the latest technology and materials, the new car is so faithful to those original racers that even Carroll Shelby himself is happy to have his name associated with it. And Carroll Shelby doesn’t give his blessing easily. So as you might expect the Shelby Daytona Cobra features big power with a 6.6 liter full-injected V8 snuggle under its long bonnet.
It’s a Roush-tuned Ford Windsor engine that develops 500 brake horsepower and a thumping 500 pounds feet of torque. That’s enough to give this light-weighted Coupe absolutely outstanding performance with 60 miles per hour arriving in 4 seconds and a tope speed that’s determined more by your nerve than the claimed 200 miles per hour.
Even if you’re not reaching for those high-end speeds, the Shelby evolves like few other cars. The power steering is light and loaded with feel that allows you to place the narrow Coupe on the road with real precision. The deep walled tires so at odds with the low profiled rubber of today’s super cars, but so right for the Daytona’s 60’s style give it a supple compliant ride. The ride might be smooth but it’s still a hugely visceral and physical driving experience.
The Cobra demands all time, attention and a good deal of skill particularly as there are no electronic safety nets like ABS brakes or traction control. The accelerator is very heavy and the clutch demands firm control to take off smoothly. It’s a car you have to learn to drive and then develop a relationship. Do so and eventually you’ll get into the rhythm. The initial reluctance of the gear lever subsides, the chutter from the transmission with its limited slip differential eases, and the stiffness of the pedals disappears. Pace increases.
It’s not just the pace that increases either. But the noise too. The huge V8 gives off an uncluttered rumble that’s pure race car. As noisy inside as it is out, its one of the most memorable parts of the driving experience after the explosive performance.
The Shelby’s engine simply resonates around the interior. It’s a period place to travel too. A simple dashboard festooned with chrome toggle switches including the one needed to start that monster engine. This Shelby Daytona Cobra is so faithful to the original in both look and feel that you could really imagine that you have stepped back in time. But its age advantage of 40 years means that all the period charm is built into a useable, enjoyable super car. For those wanting something challenging, evocative and elusive in place of a sanitized model super car, the £92,000 Shelby Daytona Cobra is a tantalizing answer to the question.
As for good points, there’s awesome performance, a rousing engine note, and an interesting, involving driving experience. On the down side, there’s a cramped driving position, it’s tricky to drive smoothly, and it’s very noisy.
