New Daytona Coupe replica in the UK

RobBeddington · 11-26-04, 03:04 PM

For anyone in the UK who thinks the Superformance Daytona is overpriced, the Britiah American Daytona is currently going through SVA.

B A Daytona webpage

Does this look similar to the FFR Coupe in the USA? And I know Superformance were very unsure about using the Daytona name because of CS. But no such worries for the BA Daytona it seems.

Rob

Joe T · 11-26-04, 04:08 PM

I cant tell whether its just the angle but the front looks a bit square to me, still nice though.

Simon · 11-26-04, 05:07 PM

I think there something not quite right about the looks of the car, can't quite put my finger on it...
Maybe it's just because I've been drooling over the Superformance too much

Mark Clapp · 11-26-04, 05:15 PM

I think the shape is much closer to original than the Factory Five replica. Looks very nice and appears to be finished out more completely as well.

allanfeldman · 11-26-04, 06:15 PM

Rob,
I am sure you know the superperformance has been produced with the help of Peter Brock who design the 'Original Daytona Coupe'. But according to articles written its dimensions are different from the original. It's bigger!! Is this new car to the originals size? Since all six original coupe's where built by hand and were different from each other. It might be that a replica would match the shape. It's got a 6-1 chance of being right.
Regards Allan

RobBeddington · 11-26-04, 06:45 PM

Hi Allan

I've just asked Peter what he makes of this. I think it will be an interesting reply.

Cheers.

Rob

Keith Hardy · 11-26-04, 10:45 PM

RobBeddington · 11-27-04, 05:01 AM

Peter Brock's thoughts on the BA Daytona:

"Looks better than the Factory Five version, but certainly no Superformance!", and: "A day late and a dollar short..."

To underline this, Peter sent me an image of the Superformance in a colour I had not seen before, which really sets it apart. I know it's a lot of £££ but it's some car ...

Cheers.

Rob

Keith Hardy · 11-27-04, 09:45 AM

Rob, Now THAT'S what I call a good looking beast! Streets apart.

RobBeddington · 11-27-04, 12:14 PM

Apparently Jack Sears is testing the Superformance Coupe for a motoring magazine very soon. Folklore has it that Jack is to blame for the UK speed limits, after he drove the original AC Cobra Coupe to over 185mph in testing on the M1 early one morning in 1964.

The police stopped Jack, but only to look at the car. This was headline news the following day, and for weeks to come, and the 70mph speed limit came soon after. The car, which IMHO was the best looking Cobra coupe of them all, was destroyed at Le Mans after a blow out. It has since been restored.

It will be interesting to see what Jack makes of the SPF Coupe, and whether he takes it to over 200mph.

Rob

allanfeldman · 11-27-04, 06:13 PM

That is the Willment Coupe built because Shelby would not sell or build a Daytona for him.
Regards Allan

allanfeldman · 11-27-04, 06:26 PM

The AC coupe touched 183mph at the Watford gap on the M1. I cannot remember his name (sorry for being down right rude and forgetting) but I spoke to a man at the Festival of speed some time ago that was a mechanic at the testing of the car. I too thought that the 70 mph speed limit was brought in because of this. But the transport minister of the Time (it might have been Barbara Castle? not sure; said that this event had no influence on the introduction of this speed limit. Also I remember a Ferrari Superfast 500 1967 crashing into one of the bridge supports on the M1 at 174mph while stil accelerating.
Regards Allan

Gary Gibbs · 11-27-04, 06:43 PM

I just read an article in Car and Driver that put the Superformance Coupe in at 3146 lbs! That would make it significantly larger and heavier then the original.

Ron Earp · 11-27-04, 07:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
"Looks better than the Factory Five version, but certainly no Superformance!", and: "A day late and a dollar short..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting. From a fellow who purposely designed the current model to be off from the original. And with no operating side pipes (that just burns me up, sorry). And with roll up/power windows. And with a lot more weight. Looks to me a replica from someone else could be much more accurate and as I recall from my days over on Club Cobra wasn't a company doing just that? Small volume highly accurate cars? Of course, given some of the comments on the 917 I'm sure a bunch of people won't call it a replica. Still a pretty car.

Ron

David · 11-28-04, 12:05 AM

Ron,

Not to worry, you CAN purchase the Superformance with operating side pipes. So now you gonna purchase one?

By the way, are you putting air conditioning in you RF?

David

Ron Earp · 11-28-04, 05:57 AM

Dave, I might. And, no, I'm not as I think I've changed those plans. It was my understanding from seeing one 1/2 year ago and from all the press details that the exhaust exited under the rear apron while having the side pipes for show.

I just found it humorous the comments (there have been others made in numerous car magazines over the months - Car and Driver, Road and Track, Sports Car, during the AZ auction, etc.) made on the Coupe with respect to "other" replicas, and I'll leave it at that. Still think the build quality of those is fantastic and that color is quite stunning.

RobBeddington · 11-28-04, 06:01 AM

Hi Ron

Replica or not, I think the SPF is aimed at a different market from the more 'accurate' coupes.

Leaving the $350k McCluskey aside, The Upstate Coupe looks the real deal, has the correct spec, is basic, cramped, and offers the 60s feel of a Cobra with a roof. I think the body was pulled off an original Daytona Coupe. It's $90,000 for a finished car, which I think is similar to a finished SPF in the USA.

On the other hand, the SPF is spacious, well-equipped and aimed at the modern supercar market. However much it weighs, it reaches over 200mph in standard trim. (Whether it sells in the UK is a different matter - the price is hiked to around $155k over here!)

Neither car suits everyone. But either way, Peter Brock can sit back and look at these two variations on the Daytona theme, and say that he styled them both. In my book, that's some going.

Cheers.

Rob
And yes that colour really does it for me also, whereas the Daytona blue somehow doesn't. Why is that?

Ron Earp · 11-28-04, 07:09 AM

I don't know the reason for the price hike, that is dang high!!!!!!! By them here, import them, pay VAT, pay SVA, etc. and it still doesn't add up. Don't know why the blue doesn't do it for me either - maybe because every one I've ever seen is blue??? Upstate, that was the one I remember seeing at a show and thought it was fantastic!

Malcolm · 11-28-04, 11:28 AM

I sat in a SPF and didn't find it very roomy at all. In fact I bashed my knuckles on the door when holding the steering wheel. It was also running 18 inch wheels (I think) so I asked if it would be supplied with 15 inch rims as an option and got a swift no as response. Not following original too closely then, but just catching the spirit a bit to wow the punters enough to buy them.

The first picture here on this thread looks like the engine hasn't been fitted or is just too high on its suspension. The nose does look more square in the picture than on the other cars. Can you fully judge a car on one picture?

Ron Earp · 11-28-04, 11:39 AM

Malcolm, you should take a look at the Upstate car - more true to form. I'm suprised you cannot get original type wheels/size, but, given the other changes to the car I suppose that goes with the plan.