To make up for missing out on KIT CAR's first ever Performance Day in 2007, Superformance fielded three cars for testing at the 2008 event: an SPF Coupe, an SPFGT Mk II, and an Mk III roadster. The two hardtops are Superformance company cars.
Frank Liautaud kindly drove from his nearby home in Mission Viejo, California, to the defunct El Toro Marine Corps Air Station so he could put his Mk III roadster through KIT CAR's four objective driving exercises: 0-60-mph acceleration, braking from 60 mph, skidpad, and the 420-foot slalom. For the 2008 test, we've added a subjective Editor's Driving Impression evaluation. This new test is admittedly an excuse to give the KIT CAR/Source Interlink Media editors an opportunity behind the wheel of the cars that we evaluate.
Giving these colleagues some time in the hot seat of some really fast, high-performance kit cars would be a great lure for getting them out to the El Toro airstrip to help us take the photos. It would also enable them to discover that kit cars are the real deal when it comes to machines that handle well and offer very high performance. In other words, we kit and replicar owners don't just build, shine, and show our cars-we drive them. Heck, sometimes we even race them!
Like many other Cobra replica owners, Frank first fell in love with the original Shelby Cobras as an impressionable 16-year-old. He witnessed them carving up the competition while attending an SCCA road-racing event at Laguna Seca in 1967. Fast-forward to adulthood-Frank began researching the various kit car manufacturers at the start of our current millennium. He wanted to find a turnkey-minus car, so he could hire a pro mechanic to drop in a Roush small-block Ford V-8 and manual trans. Frank figured he'd saved and dreamed long enough to experience the joys of Cobra ownership. He didn't want to have to factor in the building time.
From his research, the Superformance Mk III roadster best fit his needs. He admired the car's fit and finish, and liked that Superformance's U.S. headquarters, located in Irvine, California, was minutes away from his home in Mission Viejo. He picked the Roush 327R, which is a Ford 302ci stroker small-block V-8, as Frank wanted the Mk III to be a docile yet robust daily driver.
His Superformance roadster performed superbly at our second annual Performance Day, which proves that you don't have to have a big-block Ford V-8 in your Cobra replica to tear up the tarmac. Still, ever since Frank graduated from the Bob Bondurant Grand Prix Driving School earlier this year, he has had a hankering for more power. Swapping out the drivetrain in his current car would take too much time. Instead, he bought a new jet-black Superformance Mk III, which already has received its running gear: a Roush 402SR and a Tremec TKO 600 manual trans. He'll be on the road in his newest Mk III by the time you read this. So if you're ever in SoCal and you see a happy guy rumbling around in a black Superformance roadster, don't make the mistake of doing any illegal street racing against him. You very well could end up getting caught by the police and smoked by Frank and his Mk III. Of course, Frank wouldn't do that anyway. He saves all his racing for road courses.
Rizzo at Custom Motors, in...
Rizzo at Custom Motors, in Costa Mesa, CA, installed the Roush 327R and TKO 600 five-speed trans in Frank's Mk III Superformance roadster. The 327R delivers 425 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque, which is more than enough power for a 2,200-pound car.
Smiths and Lucas gauges and...
Smiths and Lucas gauges and electrical switches fill the Mk III's dash, just as they did in the original Cobras.
Camaro Performers' editor,...
Camaro Performers' editor, Nick Licata, expertly performed the wheelwork on the slalom runs.
The owner selected the Dark...
The owner selected the Dark Silver with Diamond Black stripes, both PPG paints, for his Superformance roadster.
Rather than select the standard...
Rather than select the standard 15-inch wheels and tires, Frank picked the optional 17-inch Halibrand-style rims and Michelin Pilot radial tires. This combination yields preferable track/street driving.
Unfortunately, the closed...
Unfortunately, the closed El Toro airstrips were quite dusty, which made negotiating the skidpad a challenge. After spinning out once, Frank made a clean run on the dirty tarmac.