Collection Gift Guide: Xeroxed Machine
December 1, 2006
Driving the new Superformance GT40 MK II is to experience a time warp. Behind
me, a 427 Ford V-8 converts gasoline into noise and speed. The shift lever is
tall, to put some leverage on those gears back in the period-correct 5-speed
transaxle. The clutch is manly in its pressure requirement, as is the stiff
throttle pedal. The steering wheel is larger than on modern sports racing cars,
the better to manipulate the manual rack and pinion, while the view through the
steeply raked and wrapped windshield is spectacular. My eyes are barely
two-and-a-half feet above the road, intensifying the sensation of speed.
With 90 percent of the parts boasting complete compatibility with
the original car, the Superformance GT40 replica is as good as it
gets.
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As I approach a 90-degree bend, I brake hard, heal/toe the bare metal pedals,
downshift, and turn in. The corner opens onto a mile-long straightaway. Pushing
deeply, the GT40 MK II twitches with wheel spin, hammering past 140 mph as I
double-clutch through the gears. The road undulates, yet the GT40 remains
composed as it touches 160 mph and I back off the throttle and lay into the
brakes. For a moment, I am Bruce McLaren, winner of the 24 Hours of Le
Mans.
An American racing icon, the Ford GT40 marked a period of American dominance in international sports car racing, winning Le Mans four consecutive times, from 1966 to 1969. To acquire an original GT40 requires more than just desire and a strong portfolio; it requires an owner who is willing to part with the Holy Grail of vintage racers.
Recognizing a demand for the GT40, Jim Price, owner of High Tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the manufacturer of the excellent Shelby Cobras, Cobra Coupes, and the Noble M400, is now producing the Superformance GT40.
To gaze upon the Superformance GT40 is to take in a piece of history. It is as it was, a state-of-the-art example of racecar engineering from the mid-’60s.
It has not been stretched, softened, rubber-jointed, automated, or power-steered to appeal to dilettantes. Rather than adapt the basic design of the GT40 to a modern world, Superformance disassembled a pair of original GT40 racers and produced exact copies. Ninety percent of the parts are interchangeable with the original. In fact, a couple of real GT40 owners have taken delivery of disassembled Superformance GT40 chassis for spare parts inventory.
The important elements, the GT40’s DNA, are all there. The perforated steel, spot-welded monocoque chassis with a stamped steel roof, is just as the original, right down to the gauge of the sheet metal. The front and rear clamshells are of perfectly formed fiberglass.
The suspension and its geometry were also lifted intact, complete with cast hub carriers and fabricated suspension arms with spherical bearings. These parts, along with the chassis, are interchangeable with the original car, as are the 15-inch knock-on wheels.
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