Puritalia pays its tribute to Carroll Shelby with their own Cobra-inspired 427 roadster

The passing of automobile tycoon, Carroll Shelby, has prompted many others around the world to pay their respects to the man who truly embedded the muscle car into automotive history. Of course, the car Shelby is most known for is the infamous Cobra 427 convertible. As a result, coachbuilder Puritalia had decided to pay their tribute to the man and the Cobra 427 themselves by producing their own modern rendition.

Inspired by the original Cobra 427, the Puritalia 427 is a small, lightweight roadster that weighs in at a feather-light 2,403lbs. But that’s not it, as the Puritalia 427 also boasts a perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

Such accomplishments were actually achieved with the use of more traditional materials, as the Puritalia uses an aluminum space frame with steel subframes, instead of the exotic blend of other precious metals. Carbon fiber is also used, but mainly to help “stitch” the body together.

The powerplants for the Puritalia range from two options: the base engine is a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 good for 445hp, while a supercharged variant will also be available with around 605hp. Both engines will be mated to a six-speed manual cog swapper complete with a lightweight aluminum driveshaft and a limited-slip differential.

To wrap things up, keeping the Puritalia planted in the corners is a fully independent suspension setup front and rear, with adjustable shocks and sway bars at both ends. Brembo discs front and rear also help to kill the neck-breaking speed that this puppy will be able to produce.

–By: Chris Chin

Source: Puritalia