I had a thread going in the Superformance subforum, but what I learned there, and the rabbit hole it sent me down, has prompted me to ask a new question (I’ve searched, but have come up fairly empty):
What are the differences between the Superformance MKII vs. Shelby CSX7000 fiberglass cars? Below is my understanding based on the last few days of research.
- Both are built in the same factory at Hi-Tech Automotive.
- The Superformance MKII uses the same Ross Henry designed round tube chassis as the current Shelby CSX7000 cars. The Ross Henry design is very similar to the Tojero-style round tube chassis in the original small block Cobras.
- The Superformance MKII uses the same fiberglass body as the current Shelby CSX7000 fiberglass cars.
- The current Shelby CSX7000 cars use the same Salisbury differentials as the original cars, while the Superformance do not. I think the Superformance uses a ZF differential, but unsure.
- The brake calipers differ between the two, but I am not sure how.
- The same options are more expensive on the CSX7000 than the Superformance, sometimes significantly (Tonneau Cover for a CSX is ~2x the price). I do not know if the optional parts are actually different between cars. Does anyone?
It would seem that the Superformance MKII is the cheapest way to get a Cobra replica that handles (mostly) like the original small block cars. If that’s right, it’s a pretty compelling option or somebody looking for authenticity but not ready to dole out the extra $$$ for a CSX number and a few small differences.
Am I thinking about this the right?