Real vs. Replica, Classic Motorsports Magazine Sept issue

[Buzz]

Why bother to get cars and engines built for a one-off comparo? Surely out of the thousands of replicas out there, there will be enough examples that are "close enough" to a broadly defined spec to make it meaningful. The average joe Cobra owner or prospective buyer could easily understand the variations in straight line speed based on what's under the hood. What will be most telling are things like handling, braking, ride, and the ever-subjective "feel" that is influenced by chassis design and quality of engineering. If someone wants to know the answer to which Cobra is fastest, the answer is easy: its the one with the meanest engine.

Simplistic - yes I know - but straight line performance is such a variable thing in a type of car where no two drivetrains are exactly alike that I don't see any sense in going through a bunch of expense for a comparison that would essentially mean nothing. The logistics of gathering the cars, organising the test and compiling the data will be enough of a challenge. If it also has to depend on cars and engines being purpose built, I can almost promise you it will never happen. Great intentions and all, but...

Use existing cars and rate them on the things that are relative constants within each brand and therefore come up with relevant data that someone can reference. If one car in the comparison is not fast enough, and all else is satisfactory, then the buyer simply needs to spec his engine, gearing, etc accordingly.

In principle, though, I love the idea of a head to head comparison between replicas that includes an evaluation against a benchmark original car.

[CobraEd]

In the past, I have seen some magazines do a "shootout" with about five or so cars. I would love to see this done where they test accelleration, slalom, lateral g's, braking, and road course times. then write it all up with general comments and opinions from the drivers along with specific charts and graphs at the end.

They could compare an original 427, an orginal 289, a Superformance 460, a FFR fuel injected 5.0, a Kirkham smallblock 427 stroker, and say an Excaliber or Classic Roadsters with a 351.


I think that would be really cool!

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