As long as the world keeps spinning, people will continue to build Shelby Cobra replicas. It’s as simple as that. The fact that so many Shelby Cobra reproductions have been and will be built all over the world is testament to the late Carroll Shelby’s genius and intuition in combining a lightweight AC Ace chassis with Ford’s massive 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8.Just under 1,000 Shelby Cobras were built between 1962 and 1967, and not many of them survive today. Those who do are out of reach for ordinary people, with a minimum of $1 million securing entry into this exclusive club. Do You Care If It's A Replica When It Drives Like The Original? That’s one of the reasons people have built and will continue to build Shelby Cobra reproductions — because there’s a market for them, and not just in the United States. Many driving enthusiasts cannot afford the original vehicle, but would love to see what it’s like to drive and own one. And even if you had the money to get an original, you would never be relaxed driving it on public roads, knowing that irreparable damage may await just around the corner.That’s where replicas come in. Driving a Shelby Cobra recreation today is not just incredibly fun; it also makes you stand out in a sea of bland, appliance-like vehicles. It’s an open statement of defiance to those who try to over-regulate the car market and dictate to people what they should drive — a middle finger to conformity, if you like.Enter the Factory Five 427 Cobra replica, a kit car that is everything the original car was meant to be, only it’s reasonably priced — and brand new! Powered by a 427-ci (7.0-liter) thundering V8 and painted in striking gold with matte black side pipes, this particular car is a modern reproduction of Carroll Shelby’s radical vision. Stripped of anything that has no place on a muscle car, this replica is raw, loud and impossible to ignore, as its owner, Joe, tells the Oh Shift YouTube channel in the video posted above. This Owner Needed 4.5 Years To Build His Cobra Kit Car In His Spare Time Oh Shift / YouTube The film provides a rather rare insight into the ownership experience of a Shelby Cobra replica, starting with the fact that the owner had to build it from the ground up. While that’s obvious since we’re talking about a kit car, it says a lot about the passion these people have for the Cobra.Imagine spending 4.5 years building your car from scratch; do you have that kind of commitment? Well, Joe did, because that’s exactly how long it took to put his Cobra together in his spare time. It’s insane when you think about it, and it tells you everything you need to know about the bond that develops between Cobra replica owners and their vehicles.Then there’s the driving experience and the way the Cobra makes you feel on the road. Joe says nothing compares to it, from the sound that gives you goosebumps to the sheer speed and brutality when flooring it.That’s what having 450 hp on a car that weighs just 2,400 lbs feels like. Add to this the lack of driver aids, including traction control, and it’s clear that this Shelby Cobra 427 replica needs to be treated with the utmost respect. This is a monster that truly deserves its name: disregard it, and it will bite you hard, just like a real cobra snake would.