Dallas raises an excellent point as do many of others. I am concerned about the future of the Cobra and Cobra replicas. Why? Because it is a car I grew up idolizing and reading about and saying "one day I will have one of those". They are part of the group of cars were the heros of my childhood. Hemi Cuda, Shelby GT500s, Z28's, 427 Vettes, Boss 302's, Mach 1's, Shelby Cobras. While these cars are all important and signficant to those of us who grew up with them and reading about them in high school or junior high they also represent a very special time in automotive history. A time when American Manufacturers were not labored by federal regs, insurance etc..and it was an all out performance war that developed camps of loyalty and friendly competition that made it fun and exciting.
I think it's all about how kids are raised today. You can be computer savy and techno savy but if you are raised to love something then you love it. If you dad loved something good chance you will love it too if you are taught and appreciation for it.
All my kids have been raised with an appreciation of muscle cars and iconic cars of the 60's. As a result one daughter wanted an SS Camaro for her first car. She got it. One wanted a VW bug 60's edition. She got it. My son wanted a Shelby Mustang. He got a '07 Shelby GT which evolved from a street car to 90% track car that he is now running with NASA.
Problem is I don't think there are enough kids out there that have an appreciation for these cars today and there are not enough guys my age handing down such an appreciation for wonderful cars of the 60's. . Yes, while some do, the bulk have moved into more modern cars.
I don't know where the Cobra will land in all this. I wish I did. But I think the future for it is dicey as the years pass and our generation grows older. Will the generation behind us be as interested in these cars? Or the generation behind them?
I agree wtih Dallas that in the next 10, 20 to 30 years cars like recent gen cars like the FGT, GTR, Z06 (C5 and C6), GT500s, Boss 302, limited production Shelby's like the GT500KR, Shelby GT, GT500 Super Snake, Shelby GT350 will all be highly sought after by todays generation as perhaps the last of the rare and special cars of the fossil fuel age. They will constitute the "Barn finds" of the future generation. At least I hope it turns out this way.
Perhaps the Cobra will endure. I agree that the original will continue to hold value for a long time. However, as well healed investors die off of the older generation and the successful of the newer generations take their place their interests will likely not change which means the originals could become of less interest and in fact cars like the FGT could take their place. It is highly likely FGTs could become $1,000,000.00 cars in 10 years due to this and the other now recent gen cars I listed double in value or more.
As to racing I heard the "i race" program is very good. I, can tell you, however, that having just this week finished the 5 day Bertil Roos race school with my son in Formula Fords there is nothing like the real thing. It is amazing how much there is to know and learn. It is a never ending learning process. An electronic game while fun and to a high degree can help hone your skills it can replace actually being in a race car on a race track with other race cars. The nerves, anxiety, the feel of being straped in tightand feeling like part of a machine, the vibrations, smell of fuel and exhaust, the sounds, the sights, the adreline rush of diving into a turn at speed and in a corner with another race car and strategy that develops, walkiing the track and learning not only the lines but the nuances to a track i.e. off camber, positive camber, increasing radius, decreaing, groves, differeences in pavement, patches, debris, puddles, drying rates after rain, green tracks, cold tracks, gaters, FIA curbing verses other curbing, painted curbing. Going out with a professional racer as an instructor after 4 days of learning and having him school you. I was taken to school when I failed to maintain the line went wide and my instructor drove right down underneath me and passed in turn. Got too aggressive and tried to stay with him in the high banking and ran too close to the edge, again off line watching him fade away in the distance on line and then spinning in banking at around 80 mph trying to get "both feet in" and maintaining some contol going backwards while the smoke from the tires is now flowing out in front of me and other cars are coming around the banking. Alot of Chit is going through your mind around that time.
A video game can't replace all that.
It is an overload but an experience of a life time. Eventhough I will get my SCCA license I am content to just watch my son in the SCCA. He finished 2nd in the main. I finished 9 out of 10 cars 4 seconds off his pace and the leads pace. But it was fun trying.
It gave me a new found respect for roadracing and the pro's that do it. Man, they are fast and talented! It also gave me a higher respect for those heros that drove Cobra's and GT40s into history in the golden age. Man those guys had guts and skill!.
16Likes
Hybrid Mode
