Jalopnik: Cobra

For $46,000, This Cobra is a Pirate

graverobber — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Grammatically, pirates use ‘Arr' as an indefinite article, as in Arr, ‘tis a fast car, I seek*. Ford's SVT team used ‘R' to denote their most venomous of Cobras, and today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe snake is definitely a desirable article, but is its price too much of a pirate's booty call? More »

Watch A Cobra Race Car Tumble At 130 MPH

Patrick Frawley — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST

Massive component failures in race cars are thankfully rare, because when they happen at speed the result can be brutal. Just ask Pete Tryce. Or, better yet, watch him flip his kit-car Cobra at 130 mph early this month at Willow Springs. More »

Motorcycle Vs. Car Drift Battle 2: Here Come The Cops

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:15:00 EST

The original motorcycles vs. cars drift battle was pure car-on-bike porn. It racked up an astonishing 4.1 million views on YouTube. Now there's a sequel — and it adds a touch of narrative and a cop drifting a 550-hp Mustang Cobra squad car. Beware Officer Dan Brockett. More »

2013 Cobra Jet Mustang: Snakes! On a plane? No, a Mustang!

Ray Wert — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:30:00 EST

Today, Ford Racing unveiled the 2013 Cobra Jet Mustang at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando, Fla. The new Cobra Jet, designed for NHRA Stock and Super Stock competition, features two new 5.0-liter TiVCT engine options. More »

One owner 1964 Shelby Cobra sells for $475,000

Tom Joslin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EDT

One of the stars of this weekend's Branson Auction, a one owner 1964 Shelby Cobra, sold for an impressive $475,000 before auction fees yesterday. CSX 2305 is one of the few single owner Cobras known to exist. More »

Texas fires destroy one collector's 175 classic cars

Justin Hyde — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:15:00 EDT

The good news for one Texas man near the massive wildfires is that his home was merely singed, and his family escaped uninjured. The bad news was what the fire took instead — some 175 classic cars, including a Shelby Cobra and about a dozen Corvettes. More »

What is your favorite forgotten automotive performance package?

Tom Joslin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EDT

When people hear things like Cobra, Z28 and R/T they automatically think performance, or at least an attempt at performance. This weekend we want to know about the interesting less recognizable performance options, now forgotten by all but those truly obsessed with cars. What is your favorite forgotten performance package? More »

For $7,500, domo arigato, Mr. Cobrato

graverobber — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EDT

Cars that live long, unmolested lives are considered survivors. Some survive as icons of past glories, while others serve as cautionary tales of historical malfeasance. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Cobra II is a survivor, but will its price survive your scrutiny? More »

Poland's Mustang owners rock the Eastern bloc

Justin Hyde — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST

It's too late for this year's Oscars, but if they ever create a category for best online video of a car club touting itself, the Mustang Club of Poland gets our nomination. More »

Get To The Red Bull Choppa!

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Next time you worry about the implications of your little sister's unquenchable thirst for vodka and Red Bull, just remember it allows them to buy things like a Cobra attack helicopter and a hanger full of awesome. (Photo: Jason Paur/Wired.com) More »

Screw Cobra Replicars, We Want An Allard J2X

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:15:00 EST

Go to any Cars & Coffee and you'll see at least four Cobra replicars. You know what you won't see? An Allard J2X replica. It's the American V8-powered English car no one remembers. And that's precisely why we want it. More »

Carroll Shelby Loses Trademark Fight Over Cobra's Design

Justin Hyde — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Carroll Shelby lost his bid to trademark the iconic design of the Cobra 427, the vehicle that made him famous and has been copied thousands of times. Why did he lose? Because it was copied thousands of times. More »

Utah: Salt, Mormons And The NASA National Championships

Rob Krider — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EDT

The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) National Championships are being held at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, this weekend. Jalopnik is here to bring you a pedestrian's view of the paddock. More »

How To Wreck Your $300K Polished Aluminum Cobra

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EDT

This weekend's wreck of a polished aluminum Cobra left many wondering how someone could smash such an expensive car in a parking lot. Here's the amazing on-scene explanation with pictures showing how the car landed upside down in a creek. More »

$200K Polished Aluminum Cobra Goes In The Drink

Matt Hardigree — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 11:25:00 EDT

A 57-year-old man was leaving a collegiate autocross event in Arlington, Texas when he lost control of his $200K aluminum Cobra and landed in a creek. The driver's okay, but this rescue video shows what happened to the car. More »

Badass, Inc.

Sam Smith — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:30:00 EDT

Carroll Shelby, John Holman, Sebring, 1967. One is an American legend, the other a lesser-known genius. Both are hard-core, stone-cold cool. Awesome. (Ford Motorsport Archives) More »

Top Gear USA Pits Viper Against Cobra... Attack Helicopter!

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:00:00 EDT

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We first caught Top Gear USA shooting Hyundais in California. Now they've been spotted in Georgia filming a Dodge Viper trying to outrun a Cobra... attack helicopter. Maybe there's hope for Top Gear USA after all. Photos and video below. More »

Man Paid To Take Authentic Shelby Cobra

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EDT

If you've got a legitimate Shelby Cobra chassis and body, pay your storage unit bills or at least claim it before it becomes the property of the towing company paid to remove it. A free, original Cobra? Nice price. More »

Sue Like Hell! Shelby Loses Factory Five, Forum Lawsuit

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST

Carroll Shelby's curious intellectual property lawsuit against Daytona Coupe-replica maker Factory Five, and two web forums has failed with a United States District Court judge dismissing the suit and Factory Five bragging about besting Shelby. More »

The Ten Cars That Scare The Crap Out Of Us

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST

Some cars were born to be driven, some to be lusted after, and a few designed to be feared. With assistance from our frightened readers we've singled out the ten cars that scare the crap out of us. More »

VIDEO: Shelby Cobra Flips At VIR

Wes Siler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

We're not quite sure how you flip a low-slung sports car like a Shelby Cobra without even leaving the track, but this video shows doing just that is physically possible. Ouch. More »

How To Build An All-Billet Aluminum Cobra

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EDT

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison commissioned the fabricators at Kirkham Motorsports to build the ultimate, cost-is-no-object roadster. After years of labor, they've completed the all-billet aluminum Cobra. Click "more" to see them build one of the most spectacular custom cars ever. More »

Road-Racing Madness In Wisconsin: 1963 SCCA USRRC Championship

Murilee Martin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT

More old-timey racing goodness from Scroggs! More »

AC Cobra Out-Drags Corvette ZR1

Wes Siler — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Maybe they didn't know how to use the Corvette ZR1 launch control or maybe they just didn't have Ben, but England's Autocar managed to beat GM's finest with an AC Cobra up to 100 MPH. [Autocar] More »

Vintage Sebring Goodness, Courtesy Of The Binghamton Automobile Racing Club

Murilee Martin — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EDT

While the 12 Hours Of Sebrings promises to be the best racing series ever, that race in Florida has been pretty entertaining over the years. The Binghamtom Auto Racing Club has some great shots. More »

Danica Patrick Straddles A Cobra In New SI Swimsuit Issue

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST

These mostly-SFW photos of Danica Patrick straddling a Cobra for the 2009 SI Swimsuit Issue join the showering Danica commercial in providing more buzz for her brand and more eye candy for teenage boys. More »

Auto Forum Troll Of The Week: Chuck Norris Is A Mustang Cobra

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

Last week we tested a new weekly feature we're now calling "Auto Forum Troll of the Week." Slaying forum trolls is a public service Jalopnik's always happy to do. First up? The NorCal-LSX Forums. More »

Datsun 260Z With The Face Of A Snake And The Tail Of A Stallion

The Auto Insider — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

A true Jalop in every sense of the word; CoyoteGary has built what may be the world’s first Datsun 260Z with a fiberglass Shelby Cobra front fascia. Pictures and video below. More »

2008 Cobra Jet Mustang Brings The Noise At SEMA

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:50:00 EST

In addition to the Raptor pickup, Ford will be unveiling its latest purpose-built drag racer, the 2008 Mustang Cobra Jet. The Cobra Jet, also known as the FR500CJ, is an attempt by the Dearborn, MI-based automaker to expand its offerings of racing pony cars. The Cobra Jet gets a beefed up 5.4-liter V8 with a cold air intake, A/C delete, 9-inch rear end, a six speed manual or three speed auto, a roll hoop and a specialized suspension. While no horsepower figure is given yet, Ford is calling it a car any drag racer can get in and immediately be able to compete with ten second cars. Not too bad for a factory racer, sounds like it'll do the Cobra Jet name justice. Details in the press release below. More »

Muscle Car Wars Of 1978: Hood Decals Strike Back

Mark Arnold — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

It's a Friday, and it's the week before our most patriotic of U.S. holidays. What better time to take a look back at the best of American muscle machinery? Aha, but there's a catch: We're only going to go back 30 years. That's right, 1978. The Malaise era was striking back with a new breed of muscle cars. While not as legendary as some of the "true" muscle iron of the '60s, these creations traded raw power for cocaine-fueled, taped-on vinyl style. In the middle of an infamous era, we give you three cars that represented the best of red-blooded American spirit. But only one will be declared most awesome, and that's for you to decide. More »

Carroll Shelby Buys A Replica, Will He Sue Himself?

Mark Arnold — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:20:00 EDT

Just about every time Carroll Shelby smells merely a whiff of somebody using the name "Shelby" or "Cobra" or "Automobile" without ~~paying through the nose for it~~ his permission, ol' Shel' slaps em' with a good old 'merican-style lawsuit. Remember the case against Wilhelm Motor Works? There was even a suit against the Shelby American Automobile Club. So between all the replica Shelby Mustangs and Cobras out there, Carroll must be too busy taking people to court to even consider buying any of their lesser re-creations, right? Well, apparently not, as Shelby has just recently acquired a Superformance Brock Coupe, a car that's essentially a fake Shelby Cobra 'Daytona' Coupe. Ok, to be fair, the Superformance Coupe was designed by the same Peter Brock that penned the original '60s special, but we still can't help but find this ironic. Maybe it happened because the guy is getting old. We say that because this Daytona was fitted with a paddle-shift automatic transmission designed by MasterShift, which means 85-year old Carroll doesn't have to use a heavy clutch pedal to swap cogs now. Press release from Shelby below the jump. More »

Mustang or Cobra, Now Available In All-Electric Forms

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:30:00 EDT

There's something distinctly bizarre about the idea of an all-electric Ford Mustang, even more so with a battery powered ~~Shelby~~ Cobra. Isn't part of the allure the throaty grumble of the exhaust, the fire and noise and fury of acceleration? Where's the passion when you simply press the go pedal in these HST International modified sports cars and you're fired from a silent slingshot to 60 MPH in only 3.9 seconds for the Stang, and 3.2 seconds for the Cobra. Sure that's damn fast, and you can get a 100 miles on an 8 hour charge at 120V, or a three hour charge at 220V, but still, we'd prefer to keep our E-cars separate from our muscle cars. Unless of course we roll like Fisker and just play that tune from the loud speakers. [MotorAuthority] More »

The Iconic GTR Roadster: All About The Details

Mark Arnold — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EDT

At a glance, the Iconic GTR looks like just another Cobra replica. But taking a closer look you realize it's the bespoke details that make it special. Shiny toggle switches, plush leather, jewel-like gauges, a roll-bar that conceals LED turn signals with a full spectrum of color adjustment; it all makes the GTR feel like a creation made for winning the Riddler Award. But don't think that it's all show and no go — the body is all carbon-fiber with ground effects that help make over 500 pounds of downforce. Open the power-operated bonnet you'll find a F1-style front suspension and the heart of the beast, a 800 HP naturally-aspirated 6.9-liter V8. And that's not just some crate motor, it's a hand-assembled custom with a unique fuel-injection system.
More »

Street Legal Cheetah Replicas To Hunt Cobras

Mark Arnold — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EDT

There's no question that Cobras are cool, even in fiberglass kit form. But you've got to admit that the fiberglass snakes are becoming somewhat common now with all the companies ~~being sued by Carroll Shelby~~ making their own versions of the V8 roadster. So for those seeking an alternative, Ruth Engineering & Racing will be producing kits for streetable Cheetah replicas. The coupes can be fitted with any Chevy powertrain of your choice; this particular one with a 383 stroker. Suspension bits come from a donor C4 Corvette, but the leaf springs have been replaced by independent coil-overs. That means the new Cheetah should be able to tear up a road course, making this not just a cool cruiser, but a tactical trackday toy too. We'll take ours with an LS9. [RER - AmericanCheetahRacing.com] More »

Full Iron Man Trailer Debuts, Makes Us Want One of Those Suits

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST

After months of Ironman teaser shots and Ironman Super Bowl commercials and all kinds of other nonsense, the full trailer is now live and it's looking pretty good. Convenient for our Leap Day Celebration, Ironman appears to be able to jump right into the suit with some sort of Jetsons style automatic clothes putter-onner then bound around from explosion to explosion. It also looks like the evil-doers get a hold of... oh, we don't want to be a spoiler - watch it yourself. Be forewarned though, the destruction of the Cobra is explained here so be sure you can stomach it after lunch. [also playing at Gizmodo and io9] More »

Iron Man Crushes Cobra, We Cry

Mark Arnold — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST

Poor little Cobra. From what we can tell from this one screen shot found on the official Iron Man web site, the 427 we saw in the teaser shot of the Iron Man Super Bowl commercial — and then in the full commercial itself — doesn't quite make it out of the film in one piece. Ok, so it's ~~probably~~ obviously just a replica (It may be a big-budget flick, but nobody is THAT careless). Either way, we're saddened by the loss. Maybe Iron Man is just placing old supercars on notice, seeing as he does also have that Audi R8. Whatever the reason and despite it more than likely being a kit car, we lament the need to destroy one for the Coliseum crowds coming to watch this comic book cinematic spectacle. (Hat tip to Earl!) More »

World's Only 1967 GT500 Super Snake Could Be Yours... For $3 Million

Murilee Martin — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST

With all this Barrett-Jackson brouhaha around here, we mustn't forget that there are other places to spend torrents of money on a vintage car. Say, on eBay Motors, where $3,000,000 will buy you the only GT500 Super Snake that Carroll Shelby ever made. You get the 520-horse 427, the rights to the SuperSnake.org website, and about a million tons of history with the deal. But still, we can't help wondering how many Omni GLHSs you could buy with 3 megabucks and still have enough left over for a mansion and a couple of Zimmer Golden Spirits- probably all of them! [eBay Motors] More »

A Shelby Cobra 427 frame-up, concours quality...

Ray Wert — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:51:56 EST

A Shelby Cobra 427 frame-up, concours quality restoration with a sideoiler 427 engine. 11,000 original miles. Never raced. Has the Sunburst wheels with original Blue Dot tires and a spare set of wheels and tires — and it just sold for $625,000 at the Barrett-Jackson to some guy on the interwebs. No, it wasn't us. More »

Ford GT500KR Goes Into Production, Happy Birthday Carroll

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST

What better way to celebrate the 85th birthday of Carroll Shelby, the man responsible for some of the best American muscle (and the Omni GLH), than with the production of the mean GT500KR? A King of the Road for a King of American Muscle. Works for me. 540 horsepower and 510 ft-lbs of torque for the first 79 years and a six-speed Tremec manual tranny for the last six. Only 1,000 of these sexy beasts will be available, so expect to pay a king's ransom for the privilege. Press release below the jump. More »

Carroll Shelby's Personal GT-500 to Be Auctioned Off

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:30:00 EST

With Shelby-mania still at a fever pitch, we can imagine it's getting harder and harder for the uber-wealthy car collector to show up fellow affluent auto aficionados. Thus, we present Carroll Shelby's own 1969 Shelby GT500 convertible. Mr. Shelby apparently drove it extensively, putting nearly 69,725 miles on the 428 Cobra Jet-powered beauty. The car was recently renovated and even comes with an AM-FM stereo radio! The car goes up at the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson event next January with no reserve, so make sure to bring a checkbook and an extra kidney. Full release after the jump More »