GT40 MKI in Gulf Oil Livery
Does a more desirable car exist? On paper — and in those colors — no. First of all, if you’re reading Autofiends you know this car’s history. Second, GT40s don’t photograph well. By just looking up, you have no idea how curvy those rear flanks actually are. The shapely shark nose, the teeny NACA ducts and the severity of the fan scoop are all lost on the 2D viewer. Especially the part about how diminutive these cars are. You probably know that the “40” in GT40 stands for 40 inches tall. But see those over-sized side mirrors? They’re off a Miata.
You’ll recall that I just said the Superformance Coupe had the manners of a GT car. The GT40 doesn’t. Nor does it have the manners of a supercar. In fact, it has no manners at all. No power steering or power brakes, either. All the MKI has is an engine, a wheel and two seats. This particular beauty belongs to Superformance owner Lance Stander and he has it outfitted with a fuel-injected Roush 427 IR good for more than 500 horses at the wheels. Ha ha ha. 0-60 mph happens in something like 3.3 seconds but here’s the thing: it’s too much man, too much.
I’m not a race car driver and have only ever claimed to be a poor one. But driving this GT40 on the street is a waste. It’s not a track day toy, either. It’s a full blooded race car. Unlike the Brock Daytona Coupe which has been thoroughly modernized and to an extent, civilized (if you call a pint glass across the nose civil), the GT40 is going to put a pool cue through your neck, old style. Then shag your bird. He’s a total brute. How brutal? 90% of the components are interchangeable with the original Le Mans winning race cars. But let me put it to you like this…
Bury the throttle and not only are the Webber-style 8-stack inductors trying to suck the air out of your ears, the engine is trying to burrow into the passenger compartment. Literally. Under full cane the motor pushes itself away from the transaxle and right into the small of you back. Not only that, but good old gravitational forces are pushing you into the engine bay. The result is a nightmarish cacophony of screaming metal, shrieking rubber and thunderstorm explosions. All of which is just a tick scarier than fun. I mean, you like the sound of the alternator clipping against the firewall? Really? Ask any astronaut — escaping the confines of earth is never pleasant. If I were a real man I might tell you how I’ve never experienced a car that can take more speed into a corner, or blast out of an apex earlier. But I’m not. Therefore Mr. Stander can keep his GT40. Just gimme that damn Daytona Coupe.
GT40 MKI
[I'd like to thank Drew Phillips for the killer photos and Superformance owner Ashton Stander for both unfettered access to the cars and hanging out with me all day. I owe you a beer!]
Posted By: Jonny Lieberman |
Tags: 427 Brock Coupe Carroll Shelby Cobra Ford GT40 GT40 GT40 MKI Peter Brock Roush Roush 427 Roush 427 IR Roush 427 SR Shelby Superformance Superformance MKI Superformance Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
Hi Johnny
Thanks for a very well written and interesting portrayal of the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. We enjoyed having you over at our showroom.
Lance.
Hi Johnny,
Enjoyed the article especially since I’m a Brock Coupe owner. Just a bit of info, Pete Brock took my coupe (SPC0051) to Car & Driver with his many heat cycled tires and it pulled 1.12 Gs on their skid pad in street configuration. I was using velocity stack screens for looks but they chocked off induction air and the engine was down 80 HP but even so the car did 0 to 60 in 3.7 sec, 1/4 mile in 11.9 sec at 119 (C&D 3/07). For creature comfort, I believe it is only coupe with power winders - AND the windows go down a bit more than the crank windows.
Ron Weingart
hi johnny. I personally was never a fan of the coupe, that was till I started putting them together and built carrols personal car in auto with paddle shifters, that changed my opinion on the whole car, so much so that I went ahead and purchased one from lance and took it upon myself to build what I thought was the perfect ” track “. Just finished build it and will have it professionally photographed in the next 2 weeks, all I can say it has now become my all time favourite of the Shelby cars, thanks peter Brock for the great design!!!
Okay Lieberman, I officially hate you now. Not you specifically, but the fact that you got a day in the monster Superperformance rockets. You are one lucky sumbitch.
Oh, and nice write up.
Lieberman, you BASTARD!
(bet you get that a lot)
I could think of few better ways to exit the world backwards, upside down and on fire.
whoa, hang a sec. You think the GT40 doesn’t photograph well? Good God, there is simply nothing prettier than the GT40 in those colors, and that’s just looking at pics of it on the web. If I saw one of these in person, I do believe my head would explode before I could even fondle it. I was lucky enough to see a new Ford GT sitting inside a dealer before it was picked up. Not quite the same, nor am I a fan of green on this type of car, but even then, it was gorgeous.
quadrangleman: As good as it looks in these photos, it’s 5 times better looking in person. All curvy cars are. Says me…
ahhh, silly me. You just meant that it photographs bad in relative terms. It’s simply a breathtaking machine. This car, exactly as is with those colors, tops my dream car list.
The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and Ford GT40 MKI are among the best classic race cars. Ford already made an updated version of the GT40 (Ford GT), I hope Shelby also come up with a modern version of the Cobra Daytona Coupe.