For legal reasons, we can’t go into detail about the things we’d do to get our hands on an original GT40 or Daytona Coupe, but suffice it to say that we – like every other gearhead on planet earth – would do nearly anything for one. That’s why back in December of last year, we rejoiced at the passing of the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act, which allows companies like Superformance to start churning out and selling officially-licensed, federally VIN-ed reproductions of classic cars.

Since the life goal of owning an original Shelby racing machine is a bit out of reach for us at the moment, the news that continuation cars from Superformance would start hitting markets for fractions of the real-deal prices was good to hear. While full, replica cars sans powertrain were (and still are) great in their own right, these turn-key reproduction machines receive all the same legal standing as the originals would.

Essentially, they are the exact equivalents – albeit slightly modernized and road legal – to their authentic counterparts, minus the historic racing experience.

But, being continuations of some of the most reputable, iconic race cars in the history of motorsports, Superformance’s replicas have an awful lot to live up to. As such, they advertise that their machines are engineered to embody all of the same heart and soul of the predecessors – with such models as the GT40 even sharing two thirds of its parts and equipment with the original car.However, our curiosity is piqued at just how well these genuine components blend with the modern amenities like power steering, power windows and power brakes that Superformance includes. Do the classic and contemporary components mesh to deliver a vintage, visceral driving experience; or do they clash to form an unpleasant, discordant ordeal?

In the videos above and below, Matt Farah from TheSmokingTire YouTube channel spends a little time with both Superformance’s Daytona Coupe and their MKII GT40 – providing us with his usual insight on both.

In the above “One Take”, 6-foot-3-inch-Farah is hunkered down in the GT40 and, despite being a bit larger than the average driver, mentions that he’s able to sit quite comfortably. From the get-go, he begins laying on the compliments; he states that the car does, in fact, provide a unique, raw driving experience while simultaneously offering the comfort and quality that’s expected from a car with a nearly $200,000 sticker price.The same went for the Daytona Coupe, according to Farrah. He comments on the level of refinement and soundness, and the fact that it retains so much of that old-school race car vibe.

Despite having both power-assisted brakes and steering, Farrah mentions the tight, heavy feel when driving both cars. He explains that everything is fresh and precise, but the balance between modernization and unrefined driving delivers the all-important classic experience.

Given the monumental advances that have been made in the half-century since these cars were developed, certain modern upgrades must be included for the sake of safety and performance. But of course, the difficulty lies within trying to implement these things while still holding as true as possible to the character of the original.As Farrah illustrates in both One Takes, it seems that Superformance got it right; in their cars (namely the Daytona Coupe and MKII GT40) they didn’t allow modern day upgrades to drown out the beauty of these iconic race cars.

Of course, this is great news. We’re glad to know that there are machines accurately perpetuating the soul of iconic cars like the GT40 and Daytona Coupe; though very few will ever experience the originals, Superformance is helping spread their legend with incredible continuation cars.