The original Daytona Coupe was a race car based loosely on the AC Cobra roadster that was produced in an extremely limited run of just six cars during the 1960s. The cars were created in collaboration with a number of racing legends including Carroll Shelby, Peter Brock and Bob Negstad, and with a top speed in excess of 187mph it was certainly no slouch.

In 1965, the Daytona Coupe went on to become the first and only American car to win the FIA GT World Championship, cementing its legacy in motorsports history. Now Exotic Auto Restoration, based out of California, is allowing car enthusiasts to bring the legend of Le Mans to their own driveway. Based on the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe built by Superformance and also designed by Peter Brock, the Le Mans Edition has been upgraded in the spirit of the original race car.

This particular model is based around the design of the Daytona Coupe that won the Le Mans 24 Hour race back in 1965. Exotic Auto Restoration, however, has added a few unique elements, both inside and out. These include Group 5 fender flares front and rear, wider 18in wheels and tires, Bilstein shocks and H&R springs, billet aluminum top and side hood louvers, Alcantara trim, aircraft-style toggle switches, a suede Momo steering wheel, and “Le Mans Edition” gauges.

Customers can choose from a variety of engines based on the Ford 351 Windsor block. Powering this particular Daytona Coupe Le Mans is a Roush 402R V8 producing 530hp (395kW) and 515lb-ft (697Nm) torque and mated to a Tremec T56 6-speed transmission.

In addition, a track-oriented version is also available. Only six will be built (two have been pre-sold, leaving four available) in this configuration to commemorate the six original race cars, each featuring an authentic Shelby-built V8. These cars will be powered by a more potent V8 engine with 560hp (418kW) and 530lb-ft (718Nm) of torque on tap.

Incidentally, one of the original Daytona Coupes, the CSX2601 that won the FIA GT World Championship in 1965, will go on auction on the 15th of this month and is expected to bring a record price for a car sold in the U.S.

At the end of 2015, Congress signed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act into law. The bill included a provision opening the way for low-volume vehicle manufacturers (LVVM) to produce a small quantity of turnkey replica vehicles every year. So instead of having to buy a Cobra from Kirkland or a Daytona Coupe from Factory Five (pictured), then sourcing engines yourself, you could drive complete and fully functioning replicas off the lot.

Then came more than six years of political limbo, with the Specialty Equipment Manufacturer's Association (SEMA) holding the torch looking for a way out. Exiting limbo required SEMA to bring a lawsuit against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency responsible for creating the regulations necessary to enact the law, and threatening more legal action. Finally, NHTSA has done the necessary work, the LVVM law is official, and small shops can make turnkey replicas of vehicles sold at least 25 years ago.

Almost. First, the businesses that wish to do so much register with NHTSA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and California's Air Resources Board. NHTSA has to approve the specific vehicle being made to ensure it fits the law's definition of replica. The EPA and CARB need to see that the engine packages for the replicas meet current emissions standards. SEMA says this could take "several months." Other than the engine, the law allows for period-correct details from 25 years ago or more, like a lack of airbags and three-point seatbelts.

And after that, as the SEMA press release said, it's "Replica car companies, start your sales." Some of the companies that were waiting for this in 2015 have since left the field, like the Checker Motors Cars' Checker Cab project, and the guy hoping to make new versions of the Lamborghini Countach. Others have held on, like DeLorean Motor Company. This final rulemaking is how we'll get the new battery-electric DeLorean debuting at Pebble Beach this summer.

Each company can produce 325 examples of a replica annually, submitting paperwork to NHTSA, the EPA, and CARB that keeps track of production. Kit cars are still legal, too, but those who wish to pay professionals to finish the job on-site can finally do so.