UGears: Drift Cobra Racing Car (370pc)

We know you love car modelling and you love the Ugears Dream Cabriolet,Roadster, and U-9 Grand Prix. Well, make room on the shelf, because a powerfulnew mechanical model just muscled its way into the Ugears Automotive collection.Introducing the Drift Cobra Racing Car, a beautifully-styled, two-seatconvertible—our twist on what may be the most revered sports car of all time:the Shelby Cobra 427. The Cobra 427, produced between 1965–67, had a7.0 litre 450–510 horsepower engine, did 0–60 mph in just over 4 seconds,and had a top speed of 185 mph.

Carroll Shelby, a former race car driver and automotive designer, was hiredby the Ford Motor Co. to develop a high performance racer able to compete withthe dominant Italian race team of Ferrari. The Americans' four consecutivevictories at the prestigious Le Mans 24-hour race between 1966–69, in FordGT40s, is the stuff of legend. More recently, it was the subject of theOscar-winning 2019 film, “Ford v Ferrari,” starring Matt Damon as Shelbyand Christian Bale as Ken Miles, the ace driver for the 1966 Ford team. Thesuccess of the cars coming out of Shelby's surfside Venice, California shopwere the crest of a wave of American high performance supercars or muscle cars,characterized by powerful V8 motors placed into relatively lightweight,mass-produced, rear-wheel drive chassis. The Shelby Cobra stands out as anAmerican icon, perhaps the greatest muscle car and most “posterized” car inhistory.

Designed for drag racing but street legal, muscle cars offer incredibleautomotive power at a relatively affordable price point. The scarcity andunbelievable auction prices today of some of these classic street beasts is duein no small part to the fact that they were often more car than their ownerscould handle, resulting in frequent crashes. Muscle cars have squared off inmany an illegal street race, sometimes with ownership papers on the line(another way to lose your muscle car!). In that spirit, why not convene agathering of model building friends, show off your newly-built Ugears DriftCobra Racing Cars, put your car modelling prowess to the test and race forpinks! But remember: the first rule of Ugears race club is: you do not talkabout Ugears race club. The second rule of Ugears race club is: you do not talkabout Ugears race club!

Driven by a powerful spring motor, the Ugears Drift Cobra racing car has thefastest team of horses under the hood of any mechanical wooden model we know.The model is wound by means of a ratchet knob under the chassis. Before windingyour 3-D wooden Drift Cobra model racing car, move the air filter that protrudesfrom the hood toward the windshield, and flip the switch in front of thepassenger-side seat into the Lock position (parallel to the door). Now twist theratchet underneath the car's body. After 6 to 6.5 turns of the knob thespring is fully loaded, and — vroom! vroom! — your racer is ready to roar!Set the gear shift lever, located between the driver and passenger seats, to thedesired position (Reverse, Neutral, Drive). To start the model, set it down on aflat surface, slide the air filter forward, and watch your Cobra lay rubber in aspin out (start with the wheels turned to one side), do circles, or speed downthe track in a straight line.

We think this 3D puzzle / DIY model is a beaut, with its fat tires, bulgingcurves (thanks to pieces that are precision laser-cut into fine 1mm plywood), abig open mouth up front, and open-air convertible design. This woodencar's moving parts include turning front wheels, doors that open, and a hoodand trunk that can be raised. Instead of a rubber band motor we've used apowerful spring mechanism to provide the “muscle” in this racer and extendthe model's usable life. The ratchet mechanism means you don't have to hold theknob the entire time you're winding the model—potential energy is stored witheach twist, without slippage, until the strong internal spring is fullyloaded.

To put the model in “drift mode,” turn the front wheels fully to one sideor the other, set it down on a smooth surface such as tile, and watch as themodel peels out in a sideways skid (ideally, your model should make a half to afull revolution before continuing forward, depending on the driving surface andturn angle of the wheels). When the wheels are set in their straight position,the model covers a lot of ground—8 meters or more! Set the wheels in a gentlerturn, or put the racer down on a less slippery surface, and watch your DriftCobra complete two or three full circles.

The DIY model kit for the Drift Cobra Racing Car includes 370 parts, with anestimated assembly time of nine hours, and is rated Advanced level. Why not takea page out of Carroll Shelby's book and experience the pride and satisfactionof building a beautiful, functional automotive machine with your own hands.Everything you need for this challenging but doable DIY wooden puzzle projectcomes right in the box: high quality plywood boards with precision laser-cutpieces that you snap out then snap together without need of glue or specialtools, a metal spring that powers the mechanism, and of course a set ofdetailed, illustrated instructions in 11 languages.

Ugears model kits appeal to builders and hobbyists who love quality, cleverdesign, and who appreciate ingenious mechanical elements with real worldanalogues. The Ugears Drift Cobra Racing Car is a great DIY idea and perfectgift idea for the car lovers among your circle of friends and family. Anyone wholoved the film Ford v Ferrari, who loves car modelling, DIY projects, 3Dpuzzles, or who appreciates outstanding mechanical and aesthetic design, isgoing to love the Drift Cobra Racing Car.

Specifications:

• Self-assembled, no glue needed
• Model size: 10 × 8.3 × 4.5 in(255 × 210 × 115mm)
• Package size: 14.9 × 6.7 × 1.3 in(378 × 170 × 33mm)
• Number of components: 370
• Estimated time for assembly: 9 hours
• Level: Advanced