As many of you know, my "fun" car is an ERA Cobra (Shelby Cobra 2 seat sportscar Replica with a 428 Super Cobra-Jet) and 4 speed top loader trannie. See pics in my gallery or on my website.

Now that Cobra is a FUN car to drive! It is the anti-thesis of the Crossfire. Brutal, High Torque, Hot, Simple, no windows, no top, ultra tight suspension, no power anything, old school muscle car. To that extent it is like a crude Viper.

The Cobra passes anything on the road but a gas station, 10 MPG on the highway and less in traffic. Gets a huge reaction from all, at least one beep or wave or thumbs up per half mile (no kidding). Hard to drive slow with 3.31 rear end gears. A handful and a half if you matt the go pedal. Smokes tires in any gear but 4th. So much torque you can pull from a dead stop in 3rd. You can get to 60 MPH in first gear near red-line of 6500 RPM but not recommended.

The Crossfire is refined, less powerful, much more modern, less of a toy and more of a vehicle built for comfortable travel. It has air conditioning and a radio! Go figure! It attracts some attention but not anything like the Cobra.

 

^^^I get what you mean but comparing these two cars is way to different sides of the spectrum. But I get what you mean.

 

Yes, they are at two sides of the spectrum. And by driving each, you get what the other lacks which does not diminish either car but rather amplifies each in an odd sort of way.

That said, I love the Crossfire for its normally quiet exhaust, the climate control in hot weather, the fact that the footwells stay cool in bumper to bumper traffic, the neat automatic wing, the six gears that allow the Xfire to effortlessly put into 90 MPH when you feel like you are doing 60. These are all things to love.

Also lets not forget the short throw stickiness of the 6 speed's shifter and the excellent grab of the power assisted brakes. The suspension of the Crossfire talks the twiisties very well yet it gives a comfortable ride.

The Crossfire's design is also fun. I already mentioned the wing. The stance with the big arsed haunches over the rear wheels and fastback are certainly throw backs to and earlier time. The car looks fun when standing still and evokes speed and sophistication.

When comparing the Crossfire to the Cobra, I love the Crossfire just because it has all things the Cobra lacks and love the Cobra for all the things the Crossfire lacks.

Is the Crossfire FUN? You bet it is... I do not drive un-fun cars.

It may be lame to compare these two cars. But FUN is a definition that is personal and each of these cars, The Crossfire and Cobra get you to FUN is a different sort of way.
When combined... you have FUN baby...

 

...there is no doubt that very good reasons lie behind this car's staying power. Four decades on, and this continues to be one of the most desirable sports cars. ERA is among the nicer of the replicas, but I also recall reading that the Superperformance Cobra offers a huge dose of authenticity.

The saddest thing is that the English still follow this minimal car, maximum engine design philosophy (but we can't buy them here stateside). In fact, TVR makes a range of brutally fast (and difficult to live with) sports cars that any enthusiast would go weak in the knees for. The closest thing we have on these shores to a modern day Cobra is the Viper

 

Back in 1969, when I was 19, I had a second hand Griffith. Which as you may know, was a TVR Grantura with a 289 Ford engine. Griffith built these on Long Island, NY and got the TVR Grantura body without power train and did the Shelby thing by shoe-horning a 289 Ford V8 into it with a 4 speed trannie. This was a thrilling car. I destroyed mine on a sweeping off ramp on I95 in Bridgeport, CT in late 1969. It was raining, and all of a sudden at about 60 MPH on the ramp the rear end broke loose and I did a 360 into the barrier (metal guard rails) which pretty much shredded the fiberglass body on the passenger side and rear end. The car was totaled but I walked away fine but with a few bruises.

It was a quirky car. Alot of bugs in it. I wish I had it now. I paid about $4K for it back then and now they can fetch $35K - $50K IF you can find one. I replaced it with a TR6. I suspect you are familiar with the Grantura body style? The Marcos was also of that same ilk and even cruder in fabrication.

 

...posted is a pic of my Crossfire, and a Black Grantura. Though the TVR is smaller, there is definitely some visual similarity between the two!

 

Great thread.

I love my Crossfire for all that you mentioned. I also love my impractical 91 S2 Cabrio for its great road feel and handling. Its good to have both sides of the equation.