Digital artist, Al Yasin, uses his imagination to create what is a lethal combination of an American sports car, and a drift car.
The AC Shelby Cobra is arguably among the most beautiful sports cars in American automotive history. The CSX 2000 was the first-ever Cobra to have been produced under the Shelby American brand, and it came powered by a Ford V8 engine, making 260hp. The model instantly became a lethal performance car, powered by an engine you’d see in muscle cars like the Ford Mustang of its time. The moment Ferrari bumped-up horsepower in the 250 GTO’s V12, Ford and Shelby shoehorned the massive 427 FE engine into the British designed AC Cobra, making it a monster.
No matter how much Carroll Shelby tried to redesign the body, frame and chassis, the Cobra was still a car that needed large man jewels to drive; it was breathtakingly fast and difficult to control. You’d be pleased to know that the Cobra resumed production in 1997 as the 427 S/C, and can still be bought with either an aluminum or fiberglass body. However, what you’re looking at, is a car render of the Cobra that’s been reworked entirely to go faster, but only on a track – and this is why you’d need nerves of steel to handle it.
Shelby Cobra Car Render Is Lighter And Aerodynamic
Silver 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 With Lightweight BodyworkAl Yasid\InstagramUnlike the AC Ace, the Shelby Cobra is more muscular; its sporting intent was immediately visible because of its bulging wheel arches. The round headlights are separated by the huge grille, and one can easily tell it’s a Cobra when it comes driving up to you from a distance. This stunning render by artist Al Yasid, is unlike any Cobra we’ve seen before. It flaunts an all-aluminum body with wheel arch extensions, looking like it’s been given the Liberty Walk treatment. The distinctive wheel flares house massive Rotiform wheels wrapped in Toyo tires. The windshield and the side screens have received a mild, dark tint that looks rad.
Silver 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Rear ViewAl Yasid\InstagramWhat noticeably stands out is the aero on the car. Up-front, there’s a huge lip diffuser with steel wires attached to the nose. We’d like to think it’s made of carbon-fiber to save weight. Some of the other black elements are seen in the form of the headlight bezels, indicators and front wing mirrors. The hood scoop remains original, and while the side-exit exhausts that flow from behind the front wheel arch to the front of the rear wheel arch look identical, they’re not exactly the same.
They’re slimmer because the Cobra render sits extremely low to the ground, leaving no room for thick exhaust pipes. The tires are not only lower in profile, but are also much wider Eagle Goodyears. There are even ‘aero blades’ curving over the rear fenders for better downforce – and a look at the rear reveals redesigned, split tail lights, and a massive diffuser. The render shows us that the stance of this lightweight, aerodynamic Cobra is lower than that of the original. Peel away all the aero, and you’ll see the typical shape of car, untouched.
Silver 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Rear DiffuserAl Yasid\InstagramStepping out of this ground-hugging Cobra would require you to be careful you don’t burn yourself because of the positioning of the exhausts – and this holds true on the original 427 as well. There are plenty of companies that make replicas of the 427, because of the actual car’s high price tag. But we’d still love to see this Cobra ‘drift special’ come to life.
New Coyote V8 To Put Original Cobras To Shame
Ford 5.0 Coyote In Mustang FordWhile the 427 Cobra was powered by a big-block V8 that made 425hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, we wouldn’t want something as heavy as the old unit in the lightweight Cobra. Given how popular the tried-and-tested Coyote V8 is from the recent Ford Mustang models, we decided to give the render car the latest, and most powerful Coyote engine from the S650 Mustang Dark Horse. So that means it should make 500hp and 419 lb-ft of torque. Paired to the engine will be a sequential transmission, plus the car will feature a universal hydraulic drift E-brake. A light car needs light mechanicals.
Original Cobra Interior Is Made For The Drift Professional
Silver 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Iconic CarAl Yasid\InstagramEverything inside the rendered Cobra looks original, which means it gets leather seats with no headrests. But if this had to qualify as a drift car, it would require bucket seats with four-point safety harnesses to keep the driver safely intact. The render shows the original, huge steering wheel, but we’d like to see something smaller; maybe an aftermarket Momo racing steering wheel. The ignition switch and all the required gauges can remain the way they are, and that’s all there is we can think of.
How Much An Original Shelby Cobra Is Worth Today1967 Shelby Cobra 427 S/Cvia Mecum
The average cost of a Shelby Cobra 427, as listed on classic.com, is $1.8 million. The highest cost of the Shelby Cobra 427 is $5.9 million, which was sold two years ago. However, there are model years that start from as low as $650,000.
Source: Al Yasid Via Instagram, Shelby, classic.com
