Info & specs on new MKIII superformance

maxum_101 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 09:19 PM

can anyone help me with a few questions... im looking for some specs on the superformance, whats the rotor size front and back. also anyone buy 17 inch knock offs from vintage wheels? did the wheels bolt on with out any mods the the wheel or car, im looking at the 315 size tire and would like to know if any mods were needed to put the wheels on a stock superformance. also im located in canada, anyone here live in canada and have a superformance cobra? did u get the car from macro in concord... superformance dealer?
hows the chassis on the cobras? any low sides to the car? things to watch for? and last question how does a superformance compare to a backdraft cobra. i like them both and will be getting one or the other, i just need to do some homework first, anyone in canada have a backdraft? i know now theres a dealer in BC.
any help from either superformance and backdraft owners would be great.

thanks for your help in advance

Jim Vander Wal · #2 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 09:39 PM

Hi,

I have a SPF and am very pleased.

Rotors: front 12", rear 10 1/2"

I have PSE 17" wheels w/ 275/40 and 315/35 tires. No problems but my fronts do rub the frame in front of the wheel a little at full lock. No problem otherwise, no modifications required and never hit the body. There are quite a few cars with this size combination and I've never heard of a problem.

The chassis/frame is great. Very well built and very stiff. It's also completely powder coated.

I now have 21k miles on my car. No issues at all with the frame and suspension. Very pleased with the car.

Jim

Got the Bug · #3 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 10:00 PM

Maxum,

Here's a link to a PDF version of the Superformance brochure that the dealers provide.

http://www.parkplaceltd.com/Default....3roadster.html

Doug

Kenm4187 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 10:41 PM

The PS Engineering wheels are wider, depending on what you are looking for. I have not put them on yet. I am picking up the car this Saturday.

scootter · #5 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 10:49 PM

I also have the PSE wheels with 274/40 17 in the front and and 335/35 17 on the rear. No problems with the fit.
Scott

maxum_101 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 11:54 PM

wow thanks for all the replys....
scooter wow great looking car.. the rears dont rub at all they are huge.
how much bigger is the 335 as compared to the 315? or better yet how many inches is a 335 width and a 315 width?

so ps eng wheels are the way to go... i really like the large looking rear wheels. as for price what will a set of rims 2 335 and 2 275 cost?

again thanks to everyone for the posts...... great site and great people.

jwoodard · #7 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 12:53 AM

You're looking at somewhere north of 4K USD for a set of PSE 17's polished, including the tires. If you want to run 335's the Michelin Pilots are a good choice, but there are others. Do some shopping. I bought my PSE's in 2004 and paid 2400 USD. The difference in width between 315's and 335's is 20mm. Go to Tire Rack and check individual manufacturers specs to get actual widths, i.e., tire patch. When you order the PSE's just tell them they are for a SPF and they will send the correct width and back spacing. Additionally, SPF now offers 17" wheels direct from the factory as an option. I've seen a set and they look terrific and I think you'll find they are less expensive than the PSE's because you can order them as an upgrade.
I'm running 275/40/17 in front and 315/35/17 in the rear.

scootter · #8 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 11:10 AM

Maxum,
The rear tires in my photos are 315/45 ZR17. They don't make those anymore so I went to the Michelin Pilot 335/35 17. They look good and were no problem on the same wheels. I think my wheels are 11" rear and 10" fronts. If I get a chance I will post some pics of the new tires. I bought my car with the wheels so I have no idea of the cost. I can tell you the tires are expensive when you go to the 335's. Not many choices either. There are alot more choices in the 315, but I need lots of traction for my engine.

Scott

maxum_101 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 01:45 AM

sounds good. now how about the brakess on the superformance... with all the power under ur hood , do u find the brakes good enough?
also what would you say are some of the low points on the superformance? what would you change on it if you could?

scootter · #10 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 09:52 AM

Here a some quick pics I took of my new tires this morning. I don't track my car much so the brakes are fine. When I first bought the car, the owner took me for a ride and went from 0 to 120 and back to 0 in about 2 seconds it seemed at like at the time (LOL).
Scott

wtm442 · #11 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 11:47 AM

Brakes on a Superformance?

If you want to test them in a panic stop, just make sure the belts are tight, including the shoulder belts, unless you like eating a dashboard.

Low points on an SPF? I haven't found one yet in my first 12K miles of fun and smiles.

Thieleng · #12 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 12:31 PM

With regard to the brakes, I had the opportunity to test the car at the Fernley track. It was observed that SPF has a rear brake bias. I added a dial control to the brake line, through R.E.D to adjust the bias, haven't had time to dial it in yet and will do so on the next test and tune. This might be something that you consider.

jwoodard · #13 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 02:00 PM

Thieleng,

That's the first time I've heard that about SPF. Was this observed on your car only with your track experience, or is this a more general statement about SPF cars/brakes?

Thieleng · #14 (**permalink**) 04-13-2007, 02:51 PM

There were about 3 SPF cars out at the track and during the panic breaking drill both instructors made comments about the rear brakes having too much bias which was typical on all the cars. My assumption is that he knows what he is talking about and during the next test and tunes I will be adjusting the bias to fit the conditions. During the course of running the car on the track I did not experience any issues with the braking, but of course I was not running all out either.

maxum_101 · #15 (**permalink**) 04-13-2007, 05:27 PM

now is this brake bias thing.... is it needed for the car to improve braking or is it really just a track thing. i just want a good handling car great braking ability. also does the car have alot of rattles and cowel shake? ive seen the johnex frame and its looks really stong and ridgid. how is the spf frame? when going over bumps does it respond well or shake and pull? how about ride height? how easy is it to adjust the ride height? any body roll when taking a somewhat hard turn? i have never seen a spf in person, also how about panels.. are all the gaps equal on hood trunk doors?

sorry for all the questions but i know i will get the best replys here from the people who actually own and drive the cars and not the sales people/

thanks guys

wtm442 · #16 (**permalink**) 04-13-2007, 05:59 PM

maxum_101

It looks like you are looking for a reason NOT to buy an SPF Cobra. Sorry, I have have nothing negative to say about my SPF. Everything is well engineered and constructed. No shakes, no wiggles, handles great. Of course, if you want an all out racer, there are some very nice "lightweight" Cobras that will outperform a "stock" SPF on the race track.

The Backdraft you mentioned is a nice Cobra too. But you are going to have to make a decision on which brand to buy. Since you live in Canada, I would suggest that you ONLY look at Cobras that have a dealer/rep in Canada.

Good Luck in your search. Try to get a ride in any of the cars you think you would like to buy. Of course, getting to drive the different Cobras is something I would highly recommend.

jp65cobra · #17 (**permalink**) 04-13-2007, 06:31 PM

Being in Canada is not different than me being Canadian living in San Diego and not having a dealer close by. My recent experience with these replicas is that if you are not inclined to do some of the repair or maintenance work your self after you get one of them you can get good service from many of the local speed/custom car shops in your area so I would have it on your list to have a dealer close by but I would not assign it much weight. I have also found that dealing with the vendor via email, phone and through this forum an easy way to resolve issues that arise.

There have been so many Cobra's built and shipped cross country, and to other countries, I am hoping the feds don't get some funky idea they want to increase taxes on them.

John

Bill Wells · #18 (**permalink**) 04-14-2007, 03:39 AM

Maxum.......One said 2 instructors had an issues with brake bias , in panic stops at the track - but no one else here has had that issue. One said no shakes, no rattles . The brakes are MORE than adequate for normal driving .

There are a lot of good cobra replicas out there ... I am biased being a longer term SPF owner and support SPF .

If YOU want to check out what owners say, and look carefully at MANY SPFs with many varied engine combo's , then make plans now to come to the London Cobra Show in June in Columbus Ohio. www.londoncobrashow.com

That would be a nice trip for you from Ontario and a chance to judge first hand : fit/finish/talk to owners/inspect competitive brands ... inspect the cars yourself and get more owner feedback than you are getting here . Who knows, some might be for sale ! Who knows, someone might take you for a ride - or let you drive the car !

Out of several hundred cars in total and a lot of SPFs in that mix you will be able to get all your questions answered and do your own visual inspection . Bill

Thieleng · #19 (**permalink**) 04-15-2007, 01:20 PM

You will never notice any brake bias in typical street driving conditions, so if you are not worried about running under track conditions, I wouldn't worry about it. I have 3000 miles on SPF 2378 at this time and I have no rattles and the cowel does not shake. Under hard conditions I have never noticed any frame flex with the car. Since I am a novice on the tracking of the car, some of the more experienced road racer types might be able to add some insight as to any experiences that they have had. I changed out the original suspension on the car (springs and shocks) and I have lowered the car all the way around, it is a little dropped in the back, but not much. I do not know if you can lower the car with the stock suspension. I actually went with softer springs and adustable shocks. Contrary to the Porsche 911 I own I do get more body roll, may sound a little ridiculous but I think some body role and weight transfer on acceleration/deceleration makes the car more manageable. By changing the stiffness on the shocks I can effect body roll. The body panels (doors and trunk) fit better than any new car I have bought off the show room floor, fit and finish on my SPF was excellent. The only incident I had in the SPF was running at Fernley on the long straight away, I was doing about 135 and passed a car on the left, hit somewhat of a pavement transition and the car skewed a little to the left with the rear end, quite manageable but unexpected. Overall with the changes I have done the car is great. In stock condition it still was a lot of fun but it was tough to make the car handle like I wanted it with the 15" wheels and stock suspension. As far as the other manufactures I have no experience to comment, (as far as the comparison with my 911, which has extensive drive train (409 HP, dyno'd), and extensive suspension modifications my Porsche would beat the SPF in the corners but would be eaten alive in the straights).