how fast are the Daytona Coupes?

[Mike Stenhouse]

The following is taken from a soon to be published article that I am writing on the new Superformance Coupe.

"In a final competitive hurrah, the original coupe CSX 2287 was taken to Bonneville in November 1965 for a series of land speed record runs. Configured just as it had completed its racing career and with no special preparation, it set a Class G record at 187 mph and set a total of 23 USAC/FIA world speed and distance records."

"The striking shape of the Daytona Coupe was never tested in a wind tunnel and its drag coefficient - the measure of aerodynamic efficiency - never determined. But the Bonneville run gives us the most accurate measure of the top speed of a particular car and engine under known atmospheric and altitude conditions. From this data and some rather complex mathematics, I calculate the drag coefficient to be 0.29. Wow! This is as good as modern automotive designers have been able to do for the most aerodynamic of modern cars with computer aided design, wind tunnels, huge budgets, and a strong directive to reduce drag and improve fuel economy."

There are many legends and rumors about the top speed of the Daytona Coupe. I discussed these at length with Peter Brock and we felt the Bonneville runs were the most accurate representation of the top speed of the Daytona Coupe. The runs were made with the car just asit came off the track at the last race. In racing trim, the 289 with Webers made 375 to 385 horsepower. There were claims of 198 mph at Le Mans, but the track was wet and wheelspin was most likely a factor.

In case you are wondering how I did the math, you may recall from my last post that I am a rocket scientist with a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

Hope this is helpful.