The new Shelby Cobra CSX10000 is the first new Cobra to be listed in the Shelby Register since the 1960s. It’s been made available in the UK first, through Clive Sutton Cars in London and Hagerty has been behind the wheel. After seeing the larger (too large?) 18-inch wheels, Henry Catchpole was sceptical, but as soon as he heard it start up, he couldn’t help but smile at the sound from the side-exit exhausts.
On the face of it, the engine isn’t anything particularly special - Ford’s 5-litre Coyote V8 has been in plenty of cars over the years - but it’s never sounded better than in this latest Cobra. It’s linked to a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox with a long, forward-leaning shifter that has a fabulous feel to it. With 460bhp and 420lb ft of torque to propel just 2400lb, performance is certainly fulsome enough to match the noise.
However, while this looks like a Cobra, sounds like a Cobra and goes like a Cobra, it certainly isn’t as demanding to drive as an original Cobra. The power assisted steering means it’s a doddle to potter about at low speeds and the huge tyres - 275 section at the front and 335 section at the rear - ensure huge amounts of grip to give a sense of security even when you’re pressing deeper into the throttle’s travel (at least on dry roads).
Of course, it’s all very well looking and sounding like a Cobra to the casual observer - there are plenty of replicas that do decent job of that - but what will the die-hard (festive nod) Shelby fans think of it? As luck would have it, Henry knows just such a person. Alan Faulkner has been restoring muscle cars for 40 years and what he doesn’t know about Shelbys probably wouldn’t fill the back of an envelope. So, we took the new Cobra CSX10000 along to see him and get his opinion (after having a poke around his wonderful workshop).
We hope you enjoy this latest episode of The Driver’s Seat. If you would like to support the show and the channel, then a thumbs up, comment, share or sub would be hugely appreciated. And if you’d like to know more about the Hagerty Drivers Club then just click on this link:
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Clive Sutton: https://www.clivesutton.co.uk/
Alan Faulkner: https://www.dragonwheelsrestorations.co.uk/
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The Driver's Seat with Henry Catchpole
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