The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is a race car produced by Shelby. It appears in Gran Turismo 2, Gran Turismo 6, Gran Turismo Sport (as part of Update 1.25), and Gran Turismo 7.
In-game description[]
"Successfully improved the aerodynamics of the original Cobra. A legendary model that dominated races in its day."
The AC Cobra had dominated the racing scene of the 1960s, and its coupé version was the Shelby Cobra Coupe.
The strength of the base AC Cobra was in its lightweight body and large-displacement American V8. With quick handling and extreme acceleration performance, it was a top contender throughout the racing world. However, its open body was a detriment aerodynamically, and it did not do as well in high-speed tracks.
It especially lagged in the Le Mans 24-hour race with its long straightaway, and Shelby American, who had expanded to racing in Europe, was in need of a Cobra with better aerodynamics.
The coupé body, designed by famed designer Pete Brock, had a long nose to contain the 4.7 L V8, with a short deck ending soon after the rear tires. It was full of cutting-edge aerodynamic designs including the 'coda tronca' design with its vertically cut-off rear end.
Thanks to this new body, the car, which had almost the same specs as the original AC Cobra (aside from some suspension improvements), achieved a top speed that was 18.6 mph faster than the original. Its racing performance was spectacular, showing incredible results in big events held in North America and GT class racing events in Europe within a short span of 2 years.
With its flowing coupé body and fabulous performance, along with its rarity, with only 6 cars ever being produced, the Shelby Cobra Coupe maintains popularity as a legend in racing history.
Legend Cars (GT7)[]
The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe may be the most valuable Shelby Cobra of them all. Determined to win Le Mans for Ford... Carroll Shelby asked friend and employee Pete Brock to design a coupé body for the Cobra. Spec-wise, it was virtually the same as the 289 Cobra, but the coupé body boosted its top speed by over 18.6 mph. Taking class victories at Le Mans and Daytona, this Cobra became the champion of the FIA GT Class in 1965. With only six Daytona Coupes in existence, including prototypes, they are almost mythical in their rarity.
Café (GT7)[]
Jeremy[]
Carroll Shelby made it his life's mission to trounce Ferrari at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The first attempt he made was, of course, in the famed Shelby Cobra. However, as the open-bodied Cobra was lacking in terms of high-speed aerodynamics... Shelby turned to designer Pete Brock for a body overhaul. In return, Brock handed him back the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. However, by then, Shelby had given his attention to the development of the Ford GT40. So this Cobra Daytona Coupe really only raced for a fleeting two years... In 1964 and '65. Only a few Shelby Cobras were ever produced--I'm very jealous of anyone who gets their hands on one!
Shiro Nakamura[]
This car is a masterpiece of American race-car design. Because of the era, I think its design was undoubtedly influenced by the Ferrari GTO... But this massive Daytona Coupe possesses an exclusively bold American flair, which I think is fantastic. From the fully pushed back cabin to the squeezed out rear, the proportions of this car have been taken to the limit. But that balance is what makes the car so alluring. I feel this was from using the open-top AC Cobra as a base and getting the most aerodynamic performance possible. The design sense of Pete Brock, who effectively put this car together, really comes through. This Daytona Cobra is no doubt Pete's signature creation. It looks like a complicated design... But the surface areas are clean, making it simpler and more sophisticated than you might think. That's why the more time passes, the better it looks.
Acquisition[]
Game | Purchase location | Credits | Other methods |
---|---|---|---|
Gran Turismo 2 | Shelby Special Dealership | 1,000,000 | Arcade Mode: win a race on Test Course at Normal difficulty or higher. |
Gran Turismo 6 | Shelby Dealership | 4,500,000 | GT 15th Anniversary: Enter code given with 15th Anniversary Edition |
Gran Turismo Sport ( ![]() |
Shelby Brand Central | 15,000,000 | --- |
Gran Turismo 7 | Legend Cars | 20,000,000[1] | --- |
Trivia[]
- It has the number 12 on its livery in Gran Turismo 2; in later games, its number plates were made empty.
- In Gran Turismo 2's Arcade Mode, it is the only racing car available as a preset choice, excluding the rally cars.
- In Gran Turismo 6, it is one of five cars to have a 15th Anniversary Model that appeared prior to the PlayStation 3 era. The others being the Lancia STRATOS '73, the Ford GT40 '66, the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (C2) '63, and the Cizeta V16T '94.
- In GT6, its engine sound is a recycled NASCAR engine sound, but was soon updated to a different engine sound in GT Sport.
Pictures[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Price as of September 2023.