Quote:
Originally Posted by Evoking
But I really want the wife and other passengers to feel like they are in a car, not a literal race car or kit.
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You really, really, really, need to seek out some of these cars (Cobra, Daytona Coupe, GT40) and at least ride in one. None of them will meet that singular criteria.
These are really race cars. They are not meant for comfort, especially for the passenger. After two rides in my Cobra my wife refused to ever get in it again. Several friends that I gave rides to echoed that. There is a description of a Cobra written with a piece of humor, but they are the smelliest, hottest, most cramped, sitting at an angle car you will ever be in. As a driver you tolerate that for the thrill of it. As a passenger for any length of time it is a torture chamber. The GT40 will be the worst. The seats are part of the unibody, not movable at all - no forward/backward or tilt, and in most cases, with little or no padding, are extremely narrow, and with limited foot space offer little in the way of being able to shift around. A fixed seat on Spirit Airlines is more comfortable.
And the Cobra is probably the most comfortable of the three.
If you desire a vehicle that meets your criteria quoted above it is with 100% certainty that none of the vehicles mentioned meet the criteria.
I don't want to try to talk you out of it, but these are drivers' cars, not meant or built for passenger comfort. They were designed to push an engine around a track.
While the coupe and GT40 are called "touring" cars, they are anything but, and you will be crying uncle after driving/riding in them for more than 2-3 hours (which by the way, coinicides with the time to empty the gas tank at highway speeds)
[Note there may be a 1/2 point bonus for the newer Shelby version of the Coupe (CSX9000 family) because they straightened out and widened the foot box on both sides. But you'll pay handsomely for that version.]
If you have the money and want the thrill but still comfort, consider a 05-06 Ford GT. That met my criteria that matched yours as a driver but also offer passenger comfort. [Coincidentally, mine happens to be for sale.]
P.S. And for this reason don't think of waiting for the 17 Ford GT. The homologation vehicles are pure race cars first, fixed seating again, and the space between passenger and driver is so that the passenger will spend most of the time leaning into the door to give the driver room.