Factory Five Racing is introducing a new version of its Cobra replica, the Mk5 Roadster. The Mk5 offers space for larger drivers and features an optional removable hardtop with the windshield included. Starting at $24,990, the car is currently in production—assembly not included. In a different world, the first Shelby Cobra never died. The product kept being made, and over time, it got better and better, keeping its mostly animalistic traits. At Factory Five Racing in Wareham, that timeline of better and better Cobras did come together, even though we would say that Massachusetts is not in a parallel universe—not really. Factory Five is putting out the fifth version of its Cobra replica kit, which is called the Mk5 Roadster. This is thirty years after it first started making them in 1995. Even though it has two seats, a V-8 engine, and do-it-yourself directions, the Mk5 is very different from both the car that inspired it and the car that came before it, the Mk4. The Mk5 is different from most others because it has a rectangular space frame instead of a circular tube frame. Factory Five says that the new frame is 400% more sturdy than the Mk4 frame, even though it weighs 55 pounds more. It also has a bigger cabin that can fit a driver who is 330 pounds, 6 feet 5 inches tall, and wears a size 14. When an NFL offensive tackle knows how to use a wrench, they jump right in. The roll bar is now three degrees farther back and two inches shorter than it was before, but the floor is now 2.5 inches lower, giving the driver a half-inch more covering. (There is no need for a roll bar on the passenger side.) A shorter roll bar makes it possible for the Mk5’s most obvious cosmetic change—a carbon fiber hard top that can be taken off in one piece. Instead of being made to fit over a tall roll bar, this hard top doesn’t have the shape of a brand-new trucker cap. Since it has its own window, it doesn’t look like a convertible top at all. It is important to take off the original windshield to make room for the hardtop, but a customer who built the whole car probably won’t be bothered by the task. The hybrid body of the Mk5 has a blue gel finish that looks good on its own. This is done to save money on paint and bodywork in the future. Factory Five says that one reason the Mk5 costs more than the Mk4 is that its body molds will need to be changed more than twice as often. This is to cut down on the time needed to prepare the paint and keep the panel gaps small. The upper and lower control arms in the back are both made of cast aluminum. The lower control arms in the front of the car are now also made of aluminum. The frame has two sets of mounting holes that let you change the height of the ride for street or track use. Between those front control arms can go a normal Ford V-8 engine, or, supposing you’re a GM LS engine, or, as a new option, Ford’s 7.3-liter Godzilla crate engine. Its iron block, which comes from heavy-duty truck engines, will definitely add to the car’s 2250-pound weight, but it will suit people who like their overkill in the 427 Cobra way. The head of Factory Five, Dave Smith, agrees that making a whole new car is not a good idea. However, he wanted to keep the company’s most famous product alive, so that’s what they did. Even though Factory Five will still make the cheaper Mk4 ($20,990) for thrill-seekers and traditionalists on a tight budget, the Mk5 is now the best in its class.
