What Replica would you do?

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F40 with Laf PU

 

swb

 

Hmmm....

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pur sang

 

I would rather have the rattiest example of the read deal on the planet than a replica.

 

A replica, albeit an exact tool-room one, of a 1927 Bugatti type 35B.

No original cars were harmed to make it.

Matt

 

My choice would be a 1968 McLaren M8A! This is my Manta Mirage with a Boss 302 Engine, bundle-of-snakes exhaust and a Renault Alpine transaxle. I am going to do a “John Player Edition” livery.
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288GTO (most beautiful post 70s ferrari to my eye)

The idea of a replica appeals to me simply because one could drive it. 99.99% of the most amazing Ferrari's are not driven much. Yeah yeah, I know there are exceptions, and some are even raced in historic races. But the rule is clear, they are too valuable to be driven in regular usage. I'd love to have a 288GTO replica that I could use every day or whenever.

 

Gelscoe Motorsport GT40. The only exact replica of a GT40 I know of. The rest just come close, but fall short.

http://gelscoemotorsport.com/?page_id=103

 

This is exactly why I'd rather have a Superformance version. About 75% of the parts are interchangeable with an original, but you get modern brakes, an aluminum block, and fuel injection, among other things like LHD and even AC. There's a tuner who makes those cars perfect and relatively easy to live with. I understand wanting a 100% perfect copy, but that's not for me.

 

Although I would love a Mk IV GT40 replica...

Matt

 

I would also be happy with a Lister Bell Stratos.

Matt

 

I much prefer the classic look of the Mk I, but I will back you 100% on that purchase.

 

Unfortunately, I can’t.

A few have been made, but you just can’t buy a new Mk IV J car today.

Matt

 

I have investigated Mk I and Mk III GT40's, and there are a lot of stories about guys who sold their Mk III's to get Mk I's because the big block was just too much.

They are well within what I could afford, as is the LB Stratos. I'm very interested in getting one or the other.

 

I've owned a Superformance replica for almost 20 years, so I get the 5 to 10 cents on the dollar financial equation for owning a replica. If I were to do it again, then I'd probably buy a Kirkham. As far as "doing a replica", I like the answer above "Cheryl Ladd" - yup, pick any 70's blonde hotty - I'd do a replica!!!

 

I'll never have the money for a real Daytona Spyder, so I but my replica many moons ago and still enjoy her. I guess I like the body lines more than the engine sound, but the V8 tuned sound isn't hard on my ears.

 

I definitely understand why some would prefer that route and I did want that in the past. After thinking about it some more I realized I rather experience the way the car is from that time as closely as possible rather than trying to make improvements. Also, I think the SPF GT40s used thinner metal in places, which don't make it as good as a track car as the original. I would mainly use the replica for historic racing if I had it. Daily driving I rather have a Range Rover.

 

I could drive it to COTA and back for track days, is what I'm thinking.

 

That's actually pretty cool...

https://www.rcnmag.com/garage/a-rolling-stone

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That looks like lots of fun! No worries about preservation either.

 

I would say if youre ever planning on running on track, then Gelescoe or a car built by Lee Holman is the only way to go.

 

Interesting thread one which mixes a lot of cars into one category.

1. There are sanction 2 cars, like the aston DB4 zagatos and the new Jag E and D types. All of which are made by and sanctioned by the manufacturer. +$1mill
2. There are "tool room copies" or recreations like Lynx Jaguars Gelescoe Pur Sang and some Kirkham cars. These may or may not be manufacturer sanctioned, but are in effect the same as the cars above, exact in every way to a period build. $250-600k. The only difference to a "origional" is when they were built and maybe the badging allowed.

Then we have chops, ie a more "desireable" ferrari built of the bones of a less desireable period car. These cars ironicaly are considered ferraris because fo their period chassis and engine and many of their pieces come from maranello back in the day, but in many cases these are a travesty. However we should reckognize that many a 250 GTO rep was built of a rusty not economical to repair lesser 250 series car when suchg cars were 25k basket cases decades ago, a car that probably would otherwise have been scrapped. Today though there is no need to chop any car and its frowned upon, Every piece can be obtained "new" to build your older ferrari of choice as a tool room copy as point 2. above.

Then we have cars which we call inspired by.
3. Inspired by is where I would put superformance Gt40s, and many cobras like an ERA. Essentialy Inspired by is a car that could drive very similarily to an original, but may differ in a large number of key aspects. One should be aware that depeding on use, engineering may be no more through than whats needed to run on road.

4. Silouhette. These are cars that sort of to closely look like a period car, but differ so much in engineering and powertrain that really your buying a look, something evocative of. Most cobra replicas including most of the SPF ones fit into this category, as do P4 replicas etc. They may well drive and sound great, or not.

5. Lastly we have kit car rebodies, ie really soemthing copletly different underneath with a glass body slatehred on top.

None of these categories are total rigid except maybe the firsts 2 and there si a lot of cross polination.

As for category 1 and 2, if youre not a snob, or put another way if youre a driver and care about the drive, these category 1 and 2 cars are great, and for hsitoric racing(they are FIA sanctioned) they provide all the thrills and experience of a period car for driver and spectator without risking a historic artifact. Thats without opening the can of worms debate as to whether most "historic" cars are anything marte Than GWs axe. The people who seem to hate category 1 and 2 are wealthy collectors worried about value, more than the drive. But there are definitely two camps here. The Historic scne in Europe which has always placed more of an emphasis on drivign and racing as opposed to spit and polish has been very welcoming to cat 1 and 2.

Category 3 and 4 cars. Well if youre into cars, then one can only respect and applaud someones dream and effort realized.

The key point of any of these categories is not to misrepresent what they are, or create one through a chop. They are in may senses the future of classic cars because with the advent of more regulation, electric and autonomous cars these categories will be the last acessable redoubt for the true driving enthusiast.