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From: hkr4627@acf4.UUCP (Hedley K. J. Rainnie)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Speed, H.P., and Corvettes
Message-ID: <330037@acf4.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Apr-85 14:04:00 EST
Article-I.D.: acf4.330037
Posted: Wed Apr 24 14:04:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Apr-85 22:19:01 EST
References: <330035@acf4.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 29

I have to disagree about the ZL-1 not being production.  The engine was
offered as a $3000 option in 1969.  It is probably true, however, that
they didn't sell enough for homologation.

The version of the oft-told 0-100-0 of the Cobra I've always heard was 14 
secs.  But in any case, this is truly amazing performance.  Not too many
cars today can begin to even make 100 in 14 seconds.

I read an interview with Shelby where he talked about a double supercharged
Corbra "That thing would run right along up to 189 mph."  He claimed that
the Cobra was so solid that they never had to change a thing with the sus-
pension.  He did complain, however, that the bodies were really rotten:
"build by a bunch of winos under a bridge in England" or something to that
effect.

In any case, the Cobra always had a slight edge over the Corvette because
of weight.  But I think that the superior engines of the Vette closed that
gap a lot towards the end.  And the Vette could be lightened a lot: the GS 
racers of 63-65 weighed something like 1990 lbs with 500 hp engines.

I bet a lot of people out there are surprised that there were 180-190 mph
cars made on THIS side of the Atlantic!

(signed)
Speed Racer

p.s.
Summer's coming!  Let's get those car covers off, blow the dust out of
the pipes and hit the road!