I couldn't help replying to this thread when I spotted it after listing my coupe for sale on the forum.
Made me stop and think about it for awhile - and here's my take.
I've got two roadsters in addition to my #21 Coupe, one a new custom-spec'd out BackDraft with a 390 crate (I got it as a "street cruiser," with all the extra body stuff) so I purposely didn't put a 427R in it.
I just went to the car show last Sunday at Reptile Roundup in Sebring (didn't run the Coupe this time) and noticed that all of the 50 or so roadsters all looked good sitting there in a variety of configs and colors.
Roadster replicas always at least look like Cobras, and many are probably "better" than the original, but they are all different, and typically represent a collection of components that is someone's idea of correct.
The Brock Coupe is an upgrade of the original LeMans winning design, where Peter got a second chance to get it perfected.
In other words, the coupe is an integrated design, totally engineered, with a top-of-the-line racing pedigree.
I discovered that mine was a totally different car after I had expert techs go through it, and got it adjusted to suit my size and driving style. So, just sitting in someone else's coupe, or even driving it, won't reveal the truth.
Getting the pedals adjusted for my heel and toe style was critical to my satisfaction, and the techs got it perfect. Tires matter a lot!
My ad's up at:
http://www.johnbickel.com/BrockDaytonaCoupe.htm
and it tells the story why I'm selling (moving to an island).
This is the one I will miss the most. Part of it is the heritage, part is the "look" which I and apparently many others think is the best ever coupe design, like an upgrade from a Ferrari GTO that looks a little "busy" by comparison, but what I will miss most is the "feel."
You might say the Coupe has all the "rowdy" of many roadsters, but with a sophisticated element that roadsters lack.
Every time I get in that car, I'm taken back to the sixties with memories of reading Denis Jenkinson's book "The Racing Driver" when I was a broke kid, and ogling guys like Miles and Gurney. It's all there, somehow, in that car.
There's a definite difference. You feel like you're in a "race car." It always feels like it wants to do the right thing (goes where you point it as the magazine cliche states).
I had one of the first 1971 Datsun 240Z coupes, and the Brock reminds of that car. Similar driving feel, but way more zip, control, and looks.
I guess it's mostly a "head trip."
One more thing, nobody ever asked me if it was "real." They do, however, ask "WHAT IS THAT?!"
It's a different experience throughout, and I think, superior in satisfaction to roadsters, especially if you happen to be in a "serious" mood and want to do some driving rather than cruising. Great to have the A/C on as well!