If I wanted buy a GT40 for track time, rad doughnuts and sweet burnouts, I'd probably go with a replica. Oh, and it would be perfect if it matched my little bunny friend, too. Behold, the Superformance GT40.
There are a billion things I'd be less eager to do with a real, honest-to-goodness, period-correct historic racecar for fear of scratching the paint or something. Okay, maybe not since I have little to no shame and racecars were built to be hooned, but you get the idea: if you accidentally whack into a wall, there goes your priceless piece of history.
Kit cars and replicas are the savior of the well-moneyed hoon with more balls than brains, and a well-done example is about as stunning as the original.
Replicas also provide the perfect basis for more modern upgrades, like this car's Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners.
In addition to carrying weird and wonderful automotive unicorns like the Nash Metropolitan, Mosing Motorcars has a selection of classic and performance cars. This big piece of $kaybait in particular was my original reason for dropping in until I got distracted by a certain mid-century subcompact.
Last summer, I wanted to paint my 944 in Gulf colors. Those are classic Porsche racing colors, too, and since my 944 looked far too naked in white, I took one of my Puffalump bunnies in to the Lowe's paint department to color-match and gave it a good, Chump-grade repaint. But were the bunny's buttocks a decent color match for Gulf blue?
It could have been a little brighter and included just a touch more green or turquoise in the hue, but I'd say Theo Bunny was a fine enough match for a ChumpCar.
This particular GT40 replica even had the Gurney bubble on top that allows tall people to sit inside without whacking their helmets (or heads) on the top of the car's door. The doors are cut into the roof of the car to allow better ingress and egress during driver changes, too.
While air conditioning is offered on the GT40 MkI replicas, these window vents can help with ventilation if you choose to leave that off.
The interior is spartan, but functional. This particular car is a right hand drive model, yet the shifter is to the driver's right along the door sill.
Wide door sills also meant that there was enough room in the door to fit the air conditioning controls without cluttering the rest of the cabin with them. Large storage compartments in the door almost make the GT40 seem practical until you notice that your rear view is entirely comprised of engine.
Don't care. Still want.
Gigantic fans and an enormous radiator in the front help keep the engine cool.
The engine itself—complete with the GT40's "bundle of snakes" headers—is a work of art.
I may no longer have a Gulf 944 ChumpCar, but this sure would look nice next to my Salzburg 944. (Or anything, really.) If you don't love classic Le Mans liveries, I'm not sure we can be friends.