Most kit cars we come across are near faithful representations of their muse. Unfortunately, there's always something a little off about the design that doesn't quite match up with the way we remember the original, and nearly always they're only skin deep, offering up merely the appearance of authenticity with the substance of something much lesser. Superformance, the producers of the best Cobra and Cobra Daytona Coupes replicas in the business, builds something a little more than a "kit car". All of its products are complete factory manufactured rollers minus an engine and transmission. This allows the company to bust a fat right around complex emissions and safety regulations by classifying their products as kit cars, though obviously they're so much more.

One of Superformance's current products is its most ambitious ever: a GT40 so realistic and faithful to the original that it's currently being evaluated for historic racing eligibility. What you're looking at is not a modern tube-frame chassis shrink wrapped in a fiberglass body; the Superformance GT40 MkII has a super rigid steel monocoque chassis that's covered in an all-steel body, just like the original MKIIs that made Enzo weep. Nearly everything is just like the original, right down to the "Gurney bump" in the roof. Of course, concessions were made in some areas in the interests of durability, weight savings and safety, but 90% of the parts are interchangeable with the original GT40 MkII, which is amazing. Most notable differences from the source car include the addition of air conditioning and more modern brakes, along with the fact it comes from the factory as LHD instead of RHD. Since it comes without an engine and transmission, you can drop in any engine that fits, but Superformance recommends a ROUSH 427 motor producing 530 horsepower.

The Superformance GT40 MkII looks as good today as it did back then, although it doesn't hurt being photographed by the excellent snapper, Drew Philips, of Fast-Autos.net. Check out the read link to see a full gallery of shots and read Drew's writeup after driving the GT40 MkII on the street.

Although the GT40 Mk II is essentially a new GT40, no two of the original Mk. IIs from the ‘60s were exactly alike. And they tended to change from race to race. That made the Superformance mission to recreate this LeMans podium sweeper even tougher than usual. To begin with, they had to really think long and hard to convince themselves to do this project in the first place. The thought of reverse engineering a 40-yr-old racecar, and more specifically its steel monocoque was a bit overwhelming. They even considered going the route of many of the other GT40 kitmakers out there and just build a frame that could wear the GT panels giving the kit the look, if not the feel, of the original. It didn’t take very long to shoot that idea down. They decided to not even do it if they weren’t going to do it right.

And so they began assembling a mini library of photos and schematics, traveled to England to visit with the original team of engineers, and got to work. Five years later they had a steel monocoque that was twice as rigid as a modern Formula 1 car, and 90% parts interchangeability with the original. The body is all steel too, just like back in the day. Rather than using off-the-shelf parts like lesser GT kits, everything onboard is specifically manufactured for this product. In fact, this car is currently being evaluated for historic racing eligibility. It’s that close to the real deal.

The biggest difference, company President Lance Stander points out, is the hidden air conditioning system and the more modern brakes. They also used more modern materials for many of the suspension components in the interest of durability, weight savings, and safety. Oh, it’s also left hand drive with a center tunnel mounted shifter rather than rhd with a sill-mounted stick. A rhd drive version is available at a substantially higher price for the purists out there. The launch MSRP of the complete SPF GT without engine and transmission is $65,000. Depending on the drivetrain the buyer chooses, final price should be between $80,000 and $90,000.

-- A complete factory assembled rolling chassis.
-- Vinylestere and glass composite body.
-- Show quality PPG paint finishes with many standard colors.
-- Fully independent front and rear suspension.
-- Tubular space frame constructed of mild steel.
-- Bilstein® coil over progressive shocks with H&R Springs®.
-- Four-wheel vented disc brakes, power assisted PBR® calipers.
-- Aluminum radiator/oil cooler with dual electric fans.
-- Original style monocoque chassis.
-- Pressed steel roof.
-- Original style suspension.
-- Custom Bilstein Shocks and H & R springs.
-- Show quality paint finishes available in a variety of colors.
-- Right and Left-hand drive models available.
-- Shifter & Handbrake located in center of tunnel.
-- Original style seats with silver rivets.
-- High capacity air-conditioner.
-- Oil cooler and braided lines.
-- Open crate air intake.
-- Lower / wider front fenders.
-- Smoother body lines.
-- BRM style wheels.
-- Inverted side air scoops.
-- Double scoop hood insert.
-- Accomidates small block engine (includes molded engine cover.
-- Build in rear spoiler
-- Available in Heritage color patterns.
-- *GT40 MKI Heritage uses single hood scoop insert.*