Superformance Goes Double Or Nothing With All New MKIII-R, Modern Aerodynamics And Performance Muscle Unleashes The Beast Incarnate

Superformance has managed to establish a very solid reputation for producing replicas that faithfully emulate a wide range of 1960’s cars including the Shelby Cobra. The Shelby Cobra replicas in particular have morphed into a core piece of the broader business, with the firm even receiving a licensing deal from Shelby themselves (a rarity for many replica makers.) But for this particular project, Superformance pitched historical accuracy, and instead embraced their dark side to unleash a very potent beast for the track.   Dubbed the MKIII-R the basic design shares much of its core DNA with the old-school Shelby Cobra, …

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2017 Shelby 427 DAYTONA Secret Weapon COUPE CSX2605 [70 Photos!]

A big block motor was a highly experimental concept in 1964 and Carroll Shelby kept it in his back pocket. The lengthened, re-engined monster was Shelby’s Secret Weapon for the 1964 LeMans 24 Hours. “”..it could have topped 200 miles per hour at Le Mans. Weighing about 2,200 pounds with world class aerodynamics and the power of a big block, the car had tremendous performance potential. However, destiny intervened. The truck carrying CSX2286 to Le Mans was involved in an accident that damaged the Shelby too much to be repaired in time for the race. It never ran a lap …

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Dream Garage – Superformance LOLA MkIII Can-Am Spyders

Lola racecars are extremely special for their value-for-money today, racing pedigree, and also their incredibly timeless grace and beauty. This was a racing team directly formed in the late 1950s with one goal: build a car from scratch to win LeMans. The resulting semi-monocoque chassis design – now known as a unibody – was revolutionary at the time of frame-based racers from nearly every other racing company and nearly every single road car. A semi-monocoque? Oh yes. The other part is also pretty advanced for the time: a steel spaceframe for the engine and rear suspension cradle. In fact, the …

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TVR Inks New Sportscar Deal with Gordon Murray and Cosworth – 2018 Launch Possible!

If there are two better names than Gordon Murray and Cosworth to attach to the TVR rebirth, we cannot imagine them. All are icons of English performance — and together promise great things. A new sportscar announcement today includes no new sketches or even outlines of the upcoming new TVR, but it does signal work behind the scenes. The car will be designed and produced using iStream from GMD and engine mechanicals via Cosworth. iStream is intended to be a highly robotized assembly system using the latest in 3D printing and materials to give low-weight and high-strength components. The iStream …

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Superformance GT40 Mk1 – Gulf Racing Livery in 90 Gorgeous Photos + 2 Videos

Update1 – Republishing this with new gallery formats. While editing these photos just now, I am trying to think of the right description for the beauty shown by the Superformance GT40 Mark I. (And its humble photographer…!) All I keep thinking is: “These Photos Are Wet-Your-Pants Gorgeous!” The 100-plus photos below hopefully make up for the very disappointing camerawork in my GT40 ride-along. Yes, for most of it, I am narrating into an iPhone that was not actually, ahem, recording… VIDEO PART ONE Ride-Along VIDEO PART TWO Overall, owning a Superformance GT40 is now near the top of my long …

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2014 Caterham Seven in the USA! Turn-Key, Street-Legal 280s Available Now From $50k

The dream track car is now alive and roaring around the USA, thanks to Superformance! More than two dozen Caterham Sevens have been sold so far by the Superformance and Hillbank Motorsports distribution network, and more are arriving fresh every week. We explain all the trim levels and specifications below — but here is the shortcut: The engine installation and selection is just a quick option box to tick. The car arrives to you ready to register for plates, and ready to race on the weekends! So hang those elbows out, floor the throttle and get shopping! The Caterham 280 …

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This Superformance Mark III COBRA with Roush Power Could Be Yours – $20 Charity Raffle On NOW!

A fantastic car and a great cause – what is not to love? The Ohio Cobra Club and Superformance are still selling raffle tickets to win a stunning Mark III Cobra at the London (Ohio) Cobra Show. Enter now and feel good about supporting medical research, while gaining a chance to have this beauty in your driveway for only $20! Photo Credit: Ted7 Photography http://ted7.smugmug.com/Cars/Professional-Party-Photoshooti/SPF/SPF-20th-anniversary-NO-TAGS/     OCC Meets and Raises Cystic Fibrosis Awareness      The Ohio Cobra Club has been fund raising for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for over 10 years.  Each year they have held an event …

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TVR Sportscars Brand Chronology 1956-2006 Plus a Roadmap to Global Sales for 2014 and Beyond

TVR is one of the greatest success stories in British sports cars. Not by sales or commercial volume, mind you, but the global popularity of TVR is evidence of: — universal appeal of low-volume sportscars with character — broad appeal of English-language auto journalism with a highly qualitative edge — global appetite for automotive and supercar-themed entertainment content — the power of visceral appeal to an exotic car that is nothing like anything sold locally or by big OEM makes As an American who has lusted after TVR’s since first glimpsing the Tuscan in the pages of BBC’s TopGear magazine …

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Gulf Racing Livery by CAM SHAFT for the Porsche 911 Turbo

It is automotive wrap fest today! These two are very eye-popping. They bring some favorite and iconic racing liveries to life on Porsche 911s in a very well-executed way. The funny thing about Gulf colors, in particular, is a joke I heard while visiting the GT40 factory of Superformance Olhoff Racing in April. They quipped, “We have made more Gulf GT40’s than Gulf ever did!” Thanks to the latest tech in wrapping, a two-color paintwork effect is no longer the perview of Wraith of Maybach customers. It was previously so expensive and exclusive because it meant the car had to …

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2014 Superformance Shelby Cobra Mark III in 50 High-Res Photos at Olthoff Racing

2014 Superformance Shelby Cobra Mark III in 50 High-Res Photos at Olthoff Racing The Superformance Shelby Cobra Mark III is the only recreation in the world that can proudly wear Shelby American badges. That really says it all, doesn’t it? If not, here is 50,000 words via these 50 amazing photos in the North Carolina sunshine. And if that is still not enough, the Gadsden flag on the back of this one is pretty succinct. =]

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Ford Vision Gran Turismo May Recall the 1996 INDIGO Open-Wheel Supercar Concept

The Vision Gran Turismo debuts are coming fast and furious lately – with more than a dozen still to come. The Ford preview is especially intriguing because: a) it is unlike the others in recalling a Formula 3 car’s open suspension and open-wheel layout b) Ford makes nothing like this for the road, and probably would not dare to either. Not since the Plymouth Prowler and its V6 AutoStick ate all of our dreams. No open-wheel sports-car concept has even been prominent lately, sadly. Sure, there is the Nissan Bladeglider and Caterham is available in the US from Superformance — …

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VIDEO and Photos – Bailey Ferrari P-4 Replica Running 400i V12 + Flat-6 917 Porsche Replica Too!

A day that fires up with GT40 V8s and ends with Ferrari P4 V12’s? What could be better? Sure, both the cars in question are recreations – replicas of these arch-rival racecars that are remade in 2014 just a bit better (we would argue)  than was possible in the 1960s. But even so, they are a wonderful time-capsules and even time machines for many – these cars were in their racing prime when color photography was rare enough to not know the difference between Rosso Corsa and Gulf Blue. This was racing at modern speeds — with decidedly vintage technology. …

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2014 Superformance GT40 Mark I – MEGA Photo Shoot and Ride-Along Videos

While editing these photos just now, I am trying to think of the right description for the beauty shown by the Superformance GT40 Mark I. (And its humble photographer…!) All I keep thinking is: “These Photos Are Wet-Your-Pants Gorgeous.” The 100-plus photos below hopefully make up for the very disappointing camerawork in my GT40 ride-along. Yes, for most of it, I am narrating into an iPhone that was not actually, ahem, recording… VIDEO PART ONE VIDEO PART TWO Overall, owning a Superformance GT40 is now near the top of my long list of life goals. Enjoy.     OUTDOOR PHOTOS …

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VIDEO: Touring the Olthoff Racing Dream Factory – Superformance GT40s and Cobras Galore

Tucked beside a country highway in North Carolina, impossible dreams come to life in the form of howling racecar replicas from Superformance. The model year says 2014, but the dream of piloting a Le Mans car on the street generally share a birthday with a 196* starting point. Authorized and licensed by Safir Spares and Shelby American, Superformance is not a fly-by-night organization. Badges and paperwork are a sure thing with every model they sell from the dozen or so assembly and retail outlets like Olthoff Racing all over the world. But the one thing with racecar assembly versus mass-market …

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Speculative Renderings – 2014 Superformance GT40 Can-Am Spyder or Street-Able Convertible

So, if the Ford GT40 and the LOLA T70 Mk II Spyder share so much under the skin, and if the Lola is already available from Superformance — why bother with a meld of both these ideas?   Three reasons: – The Lola cars have a far smaller following among the world’s enthusiasts, and therefore are a very niche machine – If Ford had continued racing the GT40 concept after its four LeMans victories from 1966 to 1969, it is likely that the car would have adopted this style to match FIA’s rule changes. Can-Am was much closer to home …

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2014 Superformance LOLA Mk III and MkII Can-Am Spyder at Olthoff Racing – Chevy-Friendly Racing Speedster?

Lola racecars are extremely special for their value-for-money today, racing pedigree, and also their incredibly timeless grace and beauty. This was a racing team directly formed in the late 1950s with one goal: build a car from scratch to win LeMans. The resulting semi-monocoque chassis design – now known as a unibody – was revolutionary at the time of frame-based racers from nearly every other racing company and nearly every single road car. A semi-monocoque? Oh yes. The other part is also pretty advanced for the time: a steel spaceframe for the engine and rear suspension cradle. In fact, the …

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VIDEO: Olthoff Racing Factory – Superformance GT40 Mark II – Specs, History + High-Res Photo Comparison Vs. GT40 Mark I

Is there beauty in functionality? That is the question to ask when debating a GT40 Mark I versus its successor, the GT40 Mark II. Is authenticity of the actual 1-2-3 1966 7.0-liter Mark II race win better than the clean lines and simple aesthetic of the Mark I — which was actually a trouble-prone testing bed for the losing 1964 and 1965 seasons? The 24 Hours of LeMans is widely known as the most grueling durability and endurance test ever fathomed, let alone run annually with a field of more than sixty cars across four racing categories: LMP1, LMP2, GT2 …

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GT40 vs Cobra Track Battle VIDEOS! Superformance Brings American Racecar Glory Global via Shelby Asia

Superformance Ford GT40 – in-car track cam Editor’s Intro: Can you tell I am getting excited to visit Olthoff Racing tomorrow in Charlotte, NC?   Have you ever wished you could just wake up tomorrow day inside Gran Turismo?  Or even better, in the pit lane of Daytona circa 1965 ? Well beyond 3D — and into 4D of not just SSM (sight, sound and motion) but SSMTSFG — Sight, Sound, Motion, Touch, Smell, Fear and Glory? Well, for a modest amount of cash and enough skill – Superformance racecar recreations can do just that. These two videos demonstrate the …

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VIDEOS – Charleston Cars & Coffee – 1967 Chevy Nova, Drag-Prepped Hudson, Hemi Cuda and 2002 Superformance Cobra

Okay! Trying to plow through all these Cars and Coffee photos before heading up to Charlotte tomorrow for the Mustang 50th Anniversary Celebrations — three days of playful work in the infield of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hoping to come back with some track videos and driving impressions to share — but one thing is certain: I will have more photos than most car magazines publish in a full calendar year! My Amelia adventure? More than 3000 photos, 99-percent of which are in-focus and use-able. But still 600 that I am too fatigued to write about (so far). Rainy day… …

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Exclusive! Caterham Seven — USA Buyers Guide — LHD, Street-Legal Superformance From $38k! — 5 Engines: 160, 280, 360, 480 and 620R

The only questions to ask yourself when ordering a Caterham from Superformance are remarkably basic: — How quickly would you like to have a huge grin on your face via monster performance and uber-tactile handling? — Will 2.8-seconds to 60-mph be worth an extra $30,000 or so versus the devastatingly-rapid Seven 480’s 3.4-second sprint? Or is 4.9-seconds in the affordable Seven 280 acceptable? — How wild do you prefer to be with color and style — as this can ratchet up all the below pricing dramatically. Easy, right? The Superformance distribution deal with Caterham finally allows these hilarious machines to …

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Caterham Coming to America!  620R to be sold by Superformance (Without An Engine

Caterham Coming to America! 620R to be sold by Superformance (Without An Engine…)

Caterham just announced a U.S. distribution deal for its track-only car line via Irvine-based Superformance. Superformance is best known for its amazing Le Mans GT40 re-creations and other exotic sports cars, so the Caterham deal seems like a good fit to add some lightweight track racers to its customer brochures. The sales of rolling Seven 480 and 620R models will not include an engine, but Superformance retailers or their teams are likely to complete most assemblies for customers after the car is sold and titled. How great would a small-block Chevy V8 be in this tiny machine!  A Shelby Cobra …

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Tempted? Superformance 1966 Ford GT40's Are Virtually Flawless

These two devils play a wicked trick on the brain at first sight. Their unique blend of original and modern Ford GT cues really sets them apart on the roads – even when that giant V8 is not howling away. Priced from $150,000 each, these are recreations of Ford GT40 LeMans-winners. But these cars have a few aces up their sleeve to make up for their lack of pure vintage credibility: speed, presence, and ease of use. They are also easier to drive on the street, with updated emissions and other helpful concessions to road use. The sense of occasion …

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