Superformance Shelby Edition MKIII Roadster Shines at SEMA
The 30th anniversary Superformance Shelby Edition MKIII Cobra is a super-limited, modern machine that’s essentially a brand new Shelby.
Pretty much every gearhead worth their salt knows something about Superformance, a company that’s been cranking out some of the finest officially licensed, factory-spec, continuation originals for quite a few years to this point. Currently, Superformance makes and sells a variety of amazing models including the Shelby Cobra, GT40, and the Daytona Coupe, each built to spec based on what a customer wants or desires. At the 2023 SEMA Show, Andreanna Dutton of Racing Junk was able to spend some time in a very special build from that same outfit – a Superformance Shelby Edition MKIII Roadster – as well as the owner of Superformance himself, Lance Stander.
Now celebrating its 30th year in business, Superformance has enjoyed the longest licensee relationship with Shelby of any company as well, having done business with that iconic name since 2004. Since then, it has cranked out around 6,000 Superformance Shelby Cobras, but this one is the very first sporting a a Shelby CSX10000 number on it, as well as a host of unique features designed specifically to appeal to the younger generation of Shelby fans.
This particular Superformance Shelby Edition MKIII Roadster sits a bit lower than most of the company’s other, similar offerings, and is equipped with 18-inch wheels, beefy brakes, and a bespoke suspension setup. Inside the cabin, customers can also spec the Superformance Cobra with niceties like air conditioning and power steering, all while sitting in the lap of luxury with an Alcantara and leather-covered cabin.
Of course, this is a serious performance machine as well, which is evident from the helmet diffuser located behind the driver seat, which was added to the 30th anniversary car as a nod to an owner that created it as a way to keep his head in place while surpassing 200 mph and breaking records in the process. And, thanks to the fact that Superformance is considered to be a low-volume manufacturer, these cars are sold as brand new cars complete with a VIN.
Of course, the real story for most of us gearheads is what powers this Superformance Shelby Edition MKIII roadster. While Stander notes that the company’s all-electric offerings are far quicker than any of its ICE powertrains, this particular example is packing something extra special under the hood – the relatively new 7.3-liter Godzilla V8, which has been treated to a handful of upgrades that help it churn out 600 horsepower, making the svelte 2,450-pound machine quite the performer – and it even returns around 20 mpg, to boot.
Of course, the beauty of a Superformance Cobra such as this one is the fact that owners can install any powertrain they can dream of in these cars, and with modern mechanicals underneath, they’re far more pleasant to drive and actually live with than the real thing. As one might imagine, however, there are a couple of caveats to all of this goodness – Superformance is only building 30 of these 30th anniversary Cobras, and pricing starts out at around $125,000 sans powertrain. However, we imagine that those 30 lucky folks certainly won’t regret their decision to plunk down the cash for what is clearly a truly special machine.
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