Purists my age and older may scoff at a Cobra that is anything other than Ford 427 FE-powered with proper vintage 15″ wheels, Smiths gauges, and the rest of the period-correct accoutrements… BUT I have a courtside seat to the evolving hot rod and custom car world, and the Cobra that has been the darling of the replica world has become a next generation hot rod.

Today, the wide variety of Factory Five builds supports this trend. Better proof of this is found with Hot Rod Magazine’s Mark Gearhart’s ultra-modern race-derived modular 5.0-powered beast. We’ve featured the car at SEMA, and Mark’s build highlights the best of modern technology built on the timeless 427 Roadster shape. Hot Rod Magazine featured Mark’s car on their website as it was photographed by Larry Chen. The car lays down some serious horsepower, and destroys an aluminum driveshaft in the process.

Mark is applying his significant mechanical talents to building a similar high-horsepower ultra-modern ’35 Hot Rod Truck.

In a world where the next generation seems to reach for an iPhone more frequently than a wrench, it is cool to see that hot rodding continues to evolve, and the classics are evolving along with them! Check out the full story and more photos on Hot Rod’s website here.

Dave Smith
President

Mark and his crew with the kind of stoke that only cars can give.

Mark’s next project is this super modern pro-street ’35 race truck.

Check out the full story and more photos on Hot Rod’s website here.