[StephenC]

Hi All!

Just for the sake of discussion...................

I believe we may be a biased jury, here's why.

To many, their Cobra/replica is their dream car, the car they've wanted since they were 12 (or 13 or whatever). They speak about them as revered objects, something they wanted, pursued, worked and saved for, and finally obtained. It was THE car that for some reason struck a resounding chord and became far more than just a car. For me, it was (and is) a '67 GTO.

I think a psychologist would tell me that my GTO IS more than a car. It represents a time in my life that was very special and very exciting. Fifteen or sixteen years old and experiencing unknown new thrills provided by cars, girls (remember the first time you reached "second base"?), previously unknown levels of freedom, parents and extended family in good health, and all was right (except for the war). For others, their Cobra serves in the same role as my GTO. Ya' gotta' admit, these ARE far more than just cars. The only two objects (property) I have an emotional attachment to are my dog (from Hell) and my GTO.

Now, Pontiac comes out with a "new" GTO and Ford unveils its "new" Shelby Cobra. What are the chances that these cars will have the same attraction for us as the originals (nil and none)? Just the idea that someone is trying to make a car in the image of our GTOs and Cobras doesn't sit real well. Our benchmark for anything with a Cobra or GTO badge on it is so high, it may be impossible for anyone to achieve. After all, the perfect GTO and Cobra has already been designed and built .......almost 40 years ago.

So, step back, divorce yourself from the idea that this car is trying to take the place of "your" Cobra. Look at this new Cobra through the eyes of a hormone-crazed teenager. Place your car next to a new Cobra and ask a 17 year-old, red-blooded American male which he would take (be prepared to be disappointed, a lesson I learned when my 23 yr old spotted a Noble sitting next to my SPF at Dynamic). It's not about selling cars to current Cobra and GTO owners, it's about creating the "gotta-haves" for the next generation.

I think the new Cobra looks pretty cool, but I don't have the emotional ties to the original version. But, I think the new GTO sucks (see, an emotional response to putting MY GTO badge on an Aussie imposter/fake). Would I trade my SPF for a new Cobra? No way, I'm a retro guy. But, Ford deserves credit for presenting a new generation with its own version of a Cobra and creating dream cars for the next generation.

I wish Ford and (grudgingly) Pontiac well with these new versions of the cars we love so much. I think they will, in the long run, create more interest in the old ones, and that's a good thing.