Gus Strakes
Enthusiast
Posted by KMRUMEDY in 2007, I've read the anecdote below a dozen or more times, and get a kick out of it each time. The original post was on one of the Cobra (Shelby Replicas) boards. I though I'd repost it for those that have not yet had a chance to read it:
"Last month I had to fly up to Miami for a few days to pick up some items for a new business and I decided on a whim to book a hotel right on Ocean Drive in South Beach. When I wasn't shopping and shipping stuff out, I basically kicked back in the sidewalk bistros and watched the wild and crazy world go by. Lots of awesome old muscle, the usual parade of modern day automobilia, and plenty of exotics driving by and parking along the street. On sunday evening, a red Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder and a sleek orange (!) Lambo Gallardo Spyder parked nose to tail were the focus of attraction and comments from patrons and passersby. The occasional double stretch hummer, old Stingray, turbo Porsche or muscle car would draw some of the attention and a posse of custom choppers across the road had their own little gathering. As I sat there sipping, eating and thinking that I had seen just about every interesting car under the sun except a Cobra, a deep, ominous, menacing rumble made everyone stop what they were doing. Thinking "Cobra!" I turned to see a silver and blue Viper GTS with a huge wing, IMSA style bodywork and massive rubber swaggering down the street - like a hulking silverback gorilla, ballz swinging, belching, coughing, pharting and spitting with sheer arrogance and impunity - it sounded like a nitro funny car, shaking the ground and setting off alarms as it rumbled by. The sound was hair raising, even for a bald headed Cobra owner. I had heard the disappointing note from Vipers before but this was something else - far from stock and maybe open pipes. Everyone, even the custom bikers, stared in uneasy silence and the owners sitting next to the Ferrari and Lambo basking in the adulation quietly turned and looked the other way much like smaller dogs, wise enough not to risk making eye contact with the growling, strutting alpha-male. After it disappeared from view and it was safe again, everything slowly returned to normal, but I was branded with the memory of one of the meanest, nastiest cars I have ever seen on a public street. Never did see a single Cobra in five whole days."
"Last month I had to fly up to Miami for a few days to pick up some items for a new business and I decided on a whim to book a hotel right on Ocean Drive in South Beach. When I wasn't shopping and shipping stuff out, I basically kicked back in the sidewalk bistros and watched the wild and crazy world go by. Lots of awesome old muscle, the usual parade of modern day automobilia, and plenty of exotics driving by and parking along the street. On sunday evening, a red Ferrari 360 Modena Spyder and a sleek orange (!) Lambo Gallardo Spyder parked nose to tail were the focus of attraction and comments from patrons and passersby. The occasional double stretch hummer, old Stingray, turbo Porsche or muscle car would draw some of the attention and a posse of custom choppers across the road had their own little gathering. As I sat there sipping, eating and thinking that I had seen just about every interesting car under the sun except a Cobra, a deep, ominous, menacing rumble made everyone stop what they were doing. Thinking "Cobra!" I turned to see a silver and blue Viper GTS with a huge wing, IMSA style bodywork and massive rubber swaggering down the street - like a hulking silverback gorilla, ballz swinging, belching, coughing, pharting and spitting with sheer arrogance and impunity - it sounded like a nitro funny car, shaking the ground and setting off alarms as it rumbled by. The sound was hair raising, even for a bald headed Cobra owner. I had heard the disappointing note from Vipers before but this was something else - far from stock and maybe open pipes. Everyone, even the custom bikers, stared in uneasy silence and the owners sitting next to the Ferrari and Lambo basking in the adulation quietly turned and looked the other way much like smaller dogs, wise enough not to risk making eye contact with the growling, strutting alpha-male. After it disappeared from view and it was safe again, everything slowly returned to normal, but I was branded with the memory of one of the meanest, nastiest cars I have ever seen on a public street. Never did see a single Cobra in five whole days."
