What If..
What if you had the chance to do it over again, a
second chance? Would you do it differently? Could
you do it better?
We all ask ourselves that question. Under the pressures
of life's deadlines and constraints, we all take shortcuts,
make compromises, and wind up with something less
than we dreamed. It was certainly like that with racing
in the 1960's. Budgets were tight, sometimes non-existent.
Everything had to be finished tonight to win tomorrow.
What if somebody gave you the budget and the schedule
to do it right? Would you do it? For Peter Brock,
the designer of the Daytona Coupe, Bob Negstad, designer
of the 427 Cobra chassis and suspension, and Bob Olthoff,
driver of the winningest coupe of all, the answer
would be, "Yes!"
And it would be Jim Price that would give them the
opportunity.
Jim intended for the Coupe to be part of the Superformance
product line from the beginning. His early research
told him that an exact replica was impossible. There
was no definitive Daytona Coupe design. There were
six Daytona Coupes, all
hand made and all different. The only solution would
to create the definitive Coupe from scratch, drawing
on history, but in the end creating a new, modern
car with spiritual ties to the past. Jim knew that
there was only one person who could really say what
the definitive shape was - Peter Brock, the designer
of the original. In 1996, Jim contacted and met Peter
Brock in California.
Pete was very impressed with the design, quality,
and manufacturing of the Superformance cars. He recognized
the factory's potential as a real automobile manufacturing
facility, producing real automobiles, not component
collections. And he was so impressed with Jim's vision
for Superformance and his commitment to making that
vision a reality that he agreed to help if Jim would
allow him to select the chassis designer.
The body designed by Peter Brock, designer of the
original Daytona Coupes, is a derivative design, slightly
larger to improve both suspension design and interior
space. The lines are more voluptuous. The windshield
has a sharper rake and more curvature. These and other
design changes make it a car that evokes the image
of the original, but handles better, rides better,
and is more aerodynamic, more spacious, and even more
beautiful.
The finished design is so natural, it is difficult
to image how much hard work went into creating it.
But the result is pure genius. To the naked eye,
the new car looks to be the same size as the original
Daytona Coupe, but it is slightly larger in
every dimension. The shape is so tuned to perfection
that an original would look somehow off by comparison.
The body is made of hand laid fiberglass cloth and
polyester resin. The body, doors, and nose section
are hand flatted and fitted before painting to ensure
a world-class finish and a carefully controlled fit
in final assembly. Carbon fiber is used in several
under hood components such as the radiator duct and
the heater / air conditioning box.
The paint is a base coat / clear coat twin pack that
is hand sprayed in climate controlled spray booths.
The paint is hand buffed and polished to achieve a
show quality finish.
Chassis
Pete wanted Bob Negstad to do the new car's chassis
design. Bob had done the original GT-40 and 427 Cobra
chassis designs while working for Ford. Pete thought
Negstad was one
of the top suspension designers in the world. Unfortunately,
Negstad had never had the budget or the facilities
at AC Cars to do the original design he really wanted
for the 427 Cobra.
When Negstad arrived at AC cars in England in 1964, he found
that the frame tubes had already been cut for a 90-inch
wheelbase instead of the 93-inch wheelbase he had
envisioned. He was forced to redesign the entire
car in a couple of weeks to fit the now revised wheelbase.
Negstad never considered the 427 his best effort and
never delivered what he ultimately wanted for the
design.
The Superformance Coupe would not be hampered with
the design constraints of the original Daytona Coupe.
The Daytona coupe was never intended as a production
car. Pete designed it specifically for racing. No
street models were ever considered. These design
criteria called for minimum interior space (low frontal
area) and minimum creature comforts (low weight).
Without these constraints, the Superformance Coupe
could be designed as a real street-legal high performance
GT coupe equally at home on the road or on the track.
It would be a 200 mph car with handling and braking
to match.
The new Coupe's round tube space frame chassis is
as modern as they come. Bob Negstad and Dan Bamford
of Roush Engineering completed the chassis design
using the latest design techniques and principles.
Wes Schultz of ACT did the finite element analysis.
The frame is made of jig welded seamless round mild
steel tubing. Unlike the original 289 chassis, the
Superformance Coupe chassis is quite rigid.
The design team decided to extend the wheelbase three
inches and to increase length, width, and height proportionally.
The longer and wider chassis allowed room to optimize
the suspension design. The wheelbase and width are
close to Bob's original design for the 427 before
AC shortened it.
Bob, Don, and Wes also designed the fully independent
suspension. Wes did all the computer design work
using the industry standard ANSYS system.
The front suspension is unequal length A-arms with
coil over shocks. The rear suspension is an upper
A-arm, lower A-arm with trailing link design with
long lower arms that pivot almost at the chassis centerline.
This unique geometry allows the rear tires to remain
in correct alignment with the ground over a wider
range of suspension travel and cornering angles than
a conventional suspension. The tires therefore stick
better than with conventional suspension geometry.
The result is a comfortable compliant ride and outstanding
handling, a combination rarely found in any car.
This unique design was Bob's last project. He died
shortly after it was completed.
Coupe rear
suspension in final assembly area showing lower
arm with inboard pivot, upper arm, trailing link.
Coil over shocks will be fitted where temporary
bracket connects frame to lower arm.
The Hi-Tech design team and test driver Bob Olthoff
worked with Bilstein and H&R to design the front
and rear coil over shocks specifically for the Coupe.
The power-assisted rack and pinion steering has 2.5
turns lock to lock and gives the Coupe a turning circle
of 42 ft.
The oil cooler is built into the aluminum core radiator.
The design saves space, brings the oil to operating
temperature faster, and reduces maximum oil temperature.
The exhaust system has fully functional original
style side pipes with built in mufflers. As befits
a GT car, interior noise is reduced by internally
capping the side pipes and routing the exhaust out
the rear. Full race side pipes with side exhaust exit
will be available as options.
The stainless steel fuel tank is mounted behind the
rear axle and holds 21 gallons.
The front brakes use dual piston Australian PBR calipers and 12.8" by 1.25" vented
rotors. The rear brakes use dual piston PBR calipers and 12" by 1" vented rotors.
The power brakes are vacuum boosted.
The wheels are styled like the FIA wheels, but designed to accept modern high performance tires.
The wheels are cast of aluminum using a proprietary
patented process that improves strength and quality
while reducing weight. The front wheels are 18" diameter
with an 8" width. The rear wheels are 18" diameter
with a 10" width.
Standard tires are Z-Rated Dunlop Sport 9000, 255/45ZR18
in the front and 285/50ZR18 in the rear.
The dash layout
is reminiscent of the 1965 Daytona Coupe with Stewart-Warner
gauges, an array of toggle switches, the stubby
shifter and console mounted parking brake. The heater,
A/C, radio, and glove box are nice additions for
a GT car.
The windshield is heated, tinted, and shatterproof.
The roll‑up side windows are curved to conform
to the shape of the body. The side windows are tinted
tempered glass. The rear hatch is lexan supported
by a steel frame. It is also tinted to reduce interior
heat load.
The interior offers 35.75 inches of headroom and
4 inches of seat travel.
Standard equipment in the all black interior includes:
·
Leather trimmed seats
·
Air-conditioner and heater with multi-speed
controls and directional vents
·
Three-point retractable seat belts
·
Full compliment of Stewart Warner analog
instrumentation including:
o
Speedometer
o
Tachometer
o
Fuel gauge
o
Oil pressure gauge
o
Oil temperature gauge
o
Water temperature gauge
o
Volt meter
·
Toggle switches for
o
Dash light dimmer
o
Starter
o
Fuel pump
o
De-mister
o
Washer
o
Head lights
o
Driving lights
o
Number lights
o
Radiator fan
o
Exhaust fan
·
Rotary switch for wipers
·
Glove box
·
Location for a radio
·
Remote ignition immobilizer
·
Remote keyless door lock and door opening
·
Manual and electric interior door openers
·
Four point full width roll bar
·
14" leather rimmed Moto Lita steering
wheel
·
Padded roof liner
·
Storage lockers in the luggage area
Prototype Three
is fitted with the Roush 402RC developed specifically
for the Superformance Coupe. It displaces 402 cubic
inches and produces a tractable 500 horsepower.
The Superformance Coupe is delivered as a complete
rolling chassis minus engine and transmission. The
owner is responsible for the selection, purchase,
and installation of the engine and transmission.
The chassis, accessory drives, exhaust headers, and
cooling hookup are designed for a Ford 351 Windsor
engine. The exhaust headers are designed to match
the ports on the AFR 185 cylinder heads. A dual plane
manifold is required for hood clearance.
High performance engines based in the Ford 351W are
available from a number of crate engine manufacturers
and custom engine builders. Available 351W based
engines range in size from 351 to 427 cubic inches
with horsepower ratings from 380 to 550 and above.
The chassis is designed to accept the Tremec T-56
6-speed transmission. The ratios designed for the
Mustang Cobra R version of the T‑56 work are
an excellent match for the performance characteristics
of the Superformance Coupe.
The Superformance Coupe is fitted with a BTR Hydratrack
differential, arguably the most modern slip-controlled
differential available for road cars today. The standard
rear end ratio is 3.46. Optional ratios will be available.
This car is built to be driven. The interior is quite
comfortable. Adjustable pedals make it possible for
both long and short-legged drivers to position the
seat in a proper driving position. The all important
speedometer and tachometer are located centrally behind
the leather wrapped steering wheel. The 6-speed shift
lever and the hand brake are mounted in the console.
The auxiliary instruments are located in a cluster
in the center of the dash just below the three fully
adjustable air conditioning vents. Below these instruments,
where the dash drops to join the console, are the
heating and air conditioning controls and below them
the array of a toggle switches. To the right of the
console is the optional radio. To the far right is
the glove box.
The dashboard design is simple, clean, and uncluttered.
The instruments are easy to read from the driver's
seat. Switches are easy to reach. The stubby shifter
falls easily to hand.The engine is started by turning
the key, clicking the key fob interlock, and either
lifting or depressing the starter toggle switch. Rather
racy, actually. The exhaust is diverted from the
side pipes out through the rear valence. The exhaust
sound is a mellow rumble; enough to let you know there
is a real engine under the hood, but not enough to
be intrusive.
The clutch pedal pressure is reasonably light. The
gearshift action is both light and positive. Running
through the gears is easy, natural, and a real pleasure.
As you would expect from a light car with a large
powerful engine, acceleration is breathtaking. Because
of the superior aerodynamics, acceleration continues
to be strong well into triple digits. In prototype
testing, 0-60 times in the 3.5 second range, quarter
mile times in the 11.5 second range and a top speed
is in excess of 200 mph have been confirmed.
In track testing, the dual piston caliper / vented
rotor brakes pull the speed down quickly and repeatedly
without fading. Handling is neutral. Power induced
over steer is just a flick of the throttle away. The
progression to over steer is smooth and progressive.
Overall performance, acceleration, braking, handling,
and reliability were certainly confirmed in the One
Lap of America debut.
Creating a world-class super car is a real challenge.
Creating one to sell well below $100,000 is a greater
challenge. Creating one based on a legend is even
more difficult because it has to be better in every
regard - faster, quicker, better handling, better
brakes, more creature comforts. The results here
speak for themselves.
This car is not the recreation of the legend. The
legend was only the starting point. The Superformance
Coupe is the renaissance of the legend, born with
the heritage of the past but born a new modern car
in its own right.
Undoubtedly people who loved the Daytona Coupe will
love the Superformance Coupe as well. But its qualities
transcend its heritage. A new generation will love
this car simply for itself.
Both photographs and specifications in this newsletter
are for prototype and early production models. Equipment
and specifications for production models may vary.
Specifications for the Roush 402RC engine were provided
by Roush.
Other Ford 351W based engines are available from a
number of crate engine manufacturers and customer
engine builders.
Specifications
Description
Manufacturer..................................... Hi-Tech
Automotive
Year.....................................................................
2003
Make........................................................
Superformance
Model..................................................................
Coupe
Chassis and Body
Layout.........................................................
Front engine, rear drive
Body........................................................
Hand laid fiberglass cloth
Frame........................................................
Space frame tubular steel
Brakes: Front..........................................
12.8" x 1.25" vented discs
Rear:.......................................................
12.0" x 1.00" vented discs
Brake assist...........................................................................
Vacuum
Total sweep area.................................................................
428 sq in
Sweep area per ton..............................................................
300 sq in
Wheels, standard...........................................
Traditional FIA
style
Front....................................................................
18" x 8" cast alloy
Rear...................................................................
18" x 10" cast alloy
Tires, standard........................... Dunlop
Sport 9000 Z-rated radial
Front............................................................
255/45-18
Rear.............................................................
285/50-18
Steering...........................................
Rack and pinion, power assist
Turns, lock to lock.........................................................................
2.5
Turning circle...............................................................................
42 ft
Suspension: Front...................... Double A-arm,
coil over shocks
Rear:............. Double A-arm with trailing
link, coil over shocks
Weight and Geometry
Curb weight..........................................................
2980 lb
Weight distribution front/rear.............................
47% / 53%
Wheelbase............................................................
93.2 in
Track (front/rear).............................................................
56.5/58.3 in
Length................................................................
175.0 in
Width..................................................................
73.6 in
Height.................................................................
49.2 in
Ground clearance.....................................................................
6.25 in
Trunk space...........................................................................
9.5 cu ft
Drag Coefficient, Cd................................................... 0.28
Engine
Type.......................................................................
Ford Windsor
V8
Valve train............. Overhead valve (OHV), 2
valves per cylinder
Block..................... Ford FRPP Sportsman, cast
iron, 2-bolt mains
Heads.................................................................
AFR 185, aluminum
Valves (intake/exhaust).................................... 2.02 / 1.60
in
Carburetor.......... Holley 750 cfm 4 barrel, vacuum secondaries
Intake manifold.............. Edelbrock Performer RPM
dual plane
Headers....................................................................
4 into 2 headers
Exhaust..................................... Side exhaust
routed to rear
Cam............................................................................
Hydraulic roller
Displacement........................................... 402
cubic inches
Bore x Stroke............................................. 4.000
x 4.000 in.
Compression Ratio................................................. 10.00:1
Maximum gross (dyno) horsepower...........
500 HP at 5500 rpm
Maximum gross (dyno) torque................
500 lb-ft at 4000 rpm
Redline..................................................................................
6250 rpm
Transmission....................................
Tremec T-56 6-speed manual
Transmission
Overall Max speed
Gear ratio
ratio @ rpm
1st .......................... 2.97..........................
10.28.................. 51 @ 6250
2nd ......................... 2.04...........................
7.06................... 75 @ 6250
3rd .......................... 1.43...........................
4.95................. 107 @ 6250
4th .......................... 1.00...........................
3.46................. 152 @ 6250
5th .......................... 0.80...........................
2.77................. 191 @ 6250
6th .......................... 0.62...........................
2.15................. 204 @ 5200
Final drive ratio.........................................................
3.46
Engine rpm at 60 mph in 6th gear...................................
1530
Accommodations
Seating capacity................................................................................
2
Headroom...............................................................................
35.75 in
Seat travel......................................................................................
4 in
Instrumentation
Speedometer, tachometer, fuel level, water temperature,
oil pressure, oil temperature, volt meter
Warranty
Superformance provided rolling chassis......................
12 months
Acceleration
Time to Speed
Seconds
0-30 mph..........................................................................................
1.7
0-60 mph..........................................................................................
3.9
0-80 mph..........................................................................................
6.1
0-100 mph........................................................................................
8.2
0-120 mph......................................................................................
11.5
0-140 mph......................................................................................
15.0
Time to Distance
Seconds
0-100 ft.............................................................................................
2.8
0-500 ft.............................................................................................
6.7
0-1320 ft (1/4 mile)...................................................
11.9 @ 123 mph
0-3281 ft (kilometer).................................................
21.2 @ 161 mph
0-5280 ft (mile)..........................................................
29.7 @ 179 mph
Fuel Economy
Steady State Cruise, 6th Gear
Speed
Miles per gallon
60 mph...........................................................................................
23.5
80 mph...........................................................................................
21.8
100 mph.........................................................................................
18.0
120 mph.........................................................................................
14.6
Fuel capacity.............................................................................
21 gal
Cruising range at 60 mph with 10% reserve....................
444 miles
Notes
Performance and economy figures in the data panel
are estimates from a performance simulator and have
been confirmed in prototype testing.
All figures are for sea level standard conditions.
