[Buzz]

In response to your point about whether SPF chose Bondurant and Olthoff or vice versa; did Shelby choose to endorse the FWD Dodge Charger because it was such a great performance car or did Chrysler choose him as a marketable name with a credible performance/racing pedigree? Business is business. Also, when people say that the ERA is more "like the original" they are referring to the look of the body and not an absolute duplication of the warts-and-all 60's design. It has been repeatedly established that ERA has made many improvements over the originals and focus mainly on maintaining an authentic appearance where it's visible ie: the tubular X-brace in the front of the chassis where it can be seen in the engine compartment. If you want an example of a replica that strove to mimic the original in almost every way, look at High Tech. Peerless among (mostly) glass cars in that respect. No disrespect to SPF at all - they are great at what they set out to be. But comparing them head to head with the average ERA is like comparing a BMW M3 to a Ferarri 360. Both great. One more mainstream / production line / owner friendly / practical. The other is a work of art that requires more effort to own and keep properly and is the cup o' tea of a different breed of owner.
To answer any prospective buyer's question about the two; it depends on what you want a Cobra replica for and what the whole "Cobra" thing means to you.