While many Cobra replicas are built to be stylish drop-top cruisers, the team at Turnology.com had something else in mind when it created the Project FFR Cobra Jet Challenge: decimating autocrosses and racetracks. This custom Factory Five Cobra, built by Mark Gearhart and the gearheads at Turnology, is featured at the 2015 SEMA among about 30 specialty cars and trucks at the Toyo Tires Treadpass.
“The basis of the project is Factory Five‘s proven MK4 Challenge series car and we optioned the Street Completion package to make it road worthy,” said Gearhart. “This way we can drive to the track, compete, and drive home.”
The vast majority of the build took place at home in Gearhart’s garage. In fact, the project was born after the team pondered “the baddest street car” it could build in a real garage with basic tools. Only the final assembly, and various bits and pieces, were finished at the Turnology shop to get the car ready, just in time, for SEMA.
The heart of the FF Cobra Jet is a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote motor, featuring a 312 ci Livernois block and Mahle pistons, resulting in 625 horsepower, 463 pound-feet of of torque, and peak power coming in nearly 8,000 rpm. It also features a trick dual-feed fuel system that lets the driver switch between E85 and gasoline at the flip of a switch—along with a pressurized fuel surge tank system that prevents fuel starvation during high G-force maneuvering.
That five-liter V8 is hooked to a Tremec six-speed gearbox with a Ringbrothers shifter and a Tilton clutch. It puts the power down via a set of grippy Toyo R888 rubber with custom lettering.
On the handling front, a set of Koni adjustable coil-over shocks are tasked with damping, ride height, and firmness, while Baer supplied the six-piston brake calipers that clamp down on two-piece slotted and cross-drilled 14-inch rotors. Considering the car weighs about 2,400 pounds—roughly that of a new Mazda Miata—it promises to be quite the performer.
