There’s little doubt that the Shelby Daytona Coupe can claim the title of America’s most successful motorsport hero. With a class win at Le Mans under its belt and overall victory in the FIA GT World Manufacturers Championship just a few of its racing successes, the Daytona Cobra Coupe proved more than a match for the dominant Ferrari factory cars.
However, only six were ever made, making the Daytona Coupe one of the most desirable racing GT cars ever made. If you can find one, the real thing is guaranteed to cost you several million pounds, but Californian based Exotic Auto Restorations has created its own interpretation of American’s ultimate Le Mans racer.
The beefed up Shelby is based on Superformance’s own Shelby Daytona Coupe copy that just so happens to be penned by the original Shelby designer Peter Brock. The Exotic Auto Restorations Le Mans Edition car, however, gets a much more aggressive exterior package, with flared wheel arches, wider 18-inch wheels and aluminium bonnet louvers.
On the inside, new reclinable alcantara seats have been added, as well as a brushed aluminium dashboard and new ‘Le Mans Edition’ speedo. While the suspension is also been upgraded with new heavy duty Bilstein shocks and H&R springs.
Power for the ‘Le Mans Edition’ can come from any variation of Ford’s Windsor engine, but this particular car uses a Roush tuned V8 producing 530bhp and 515lb ft of torque.
Like the original, only six will be built, two of which have already been sold, and in true Le Mans style, customers can specify a stripped out version should they wish to indulge in a spot of nostalgic 24hr endurance racing.