2016model Superformance Cobra Mk-III

“I want to drive a Cobra at least once in my life…”
Having spent many years in the United States, the Cobra has always been an object of my longing—its big-displacement American V8 engine married to that glamorous, 1960s-style body. Chunky, wide tires that seem ready to burst, and a clutch so heavy it feels like a workout… From its looks alone, I had convinced myself it was a pure straight-line brute.
But that half-baked fantasy shattered the moment I hit the road.
Thanks to the owner’s kindness, I climbed into the passenger seat with a video camera in hand. In just a few miles—first through city streets, then onto Gunma’s famed winding roads—my preconceived notions of the Cobra crashed to the ground. The instant the throttle opened, my back slammed into the seat; the surge of acceleration was ferocious, yet the car darted through corners with an agility that felt more like a 1.5-liter sportscar than a muscular roadster. I thought, “I never imagined a lightweight supercar could be this clever,” and discovered an entirely new side of the Cobra.
When this car was ordered new in 2016 from Superformance, the owner specified a model faithful to the mid-’60s small-block era—4.7 liters (289 cu in)—rather than the later 427 cu in big-block. Compared to the brute–force 427, the small block emphasizes a feather-light nose and razor-sharp handling. On that barely over-one-ton British-built chassis, the American V8 power reignites the original ’60s magic: a low-end roar that overwhelms everything around you, delivering so much torque your body lags behind even as the wheels surge you forward.
“Is this the real allure of the Cobra I’d only dreamed of?”
Visually, the Cobra’s charm lies in its textbook 1960s proportions: an AC Ace chassis widened to swallow massive tires, resulting in a body as sculptural as a Le Mans-era art piece.
But this car goes further. Painted in a bespoke Rosso Italiano—an homage to the two 1965 Shelby Cobras once owned by the late Paul Walker—and featuring a flat-black roll bar that recalls old Ferraris, it’s truly one-of-a-kind. Blacked-out wheels with silver center-lock spinners provide a striking contrast, wrapped in Avon radials (245/50R15 front, 295/50R15 rear) that promise both agility and grip.
“I refused to hide that beautiful side profile.”
That aesthetic sensibility even extends to the exhaust: instead of the usual side-exit headers, this car sports a custom 8-4-2 layout, sending dual straight pipes out the rear in a design so elegant it elevates the whole car’s character.
Yet it isn’t just about looks. The choice of the small-block Ford 289 (4.72L) V8 was deliberate, capturing the nimble turn-in of the original ’63–’64 Cobras. Married to the lightweight aluminum body, it feels startlingly light-nosed and responsive—like piloting a 1.5-liter roadster. Foot to the floor, the low-rpm torque surge pins you to the seatback with that classic supercar thrill—pure “lightweight sports-car essence.”
This custom Cobra has just 3,600 miles after 11 years on the road and has been stored indoors in immaculate conditions. Even the undercarriage—pristine in video—bears no dust or grime, proof of a rain-free, climate-controlled life. The tonneau cover has only been used once; the soft top and side windows remain factory-wrapped and unused. The cabin’s black leather feels as fresh as the day it rolled off the truck, so well preserved it warps your sense of time.
That big-torque rush launching the lightweight body forward is utterly addictive. At that moment, talking about mere “speed” feels pointless. This Cobra delivers a raw machine-to-human dialogue that no modern supercar can replicate. It will awaken something long dormant in your soul.
This is not a car you can simply shop for—you must wait for fate to bring you together. And so this Cobra awaits its destined owner…