If you were looking for a build that would make as many people angry as possible, you came to the right place, since this rendering takes the legendary Shelby Cobra down the lowrider route.
For starters, when the first lowriders showed up in the post-WWII economic boom, these were built by people who wanted their cars to send a custom message, but not the kind delivered by hot rods.
As for the Cobra, this was the result of American motoring legend Carroll Shelby deciding to give the small, lightweight AC British roadster some U.S. firepower in the early 1960s.
And, to add fuel to the fire, this isn’t your “average” Cobra, but the mighty 427, which mixed an upgraded chassis with a Ford 427 ci (7.0L) monster churning out 425 hp (430 PS)—in a contraption that tips the scales at about 2,350 lbs (1,050 kg), this means trouble.
So, what’s up with the vibe mixing the go-fast machine with the kind of asphalt-scraping toys they drive over in Southern California (by the way, the nickname in the title is on us)?
Well, digital artist Abimelec Arellano (aka abimelecdesign), an enthusiast who has otherworldy imaginary trips, backed by the skill to share them with us, came across the idea randomly.
“I wasn’t really sure if it would turn out cool or just plain weird. I have to say I like it a lot aesthetically, as the little AC body lends itself well to the small wheels (despite the big 427 arches) and the curves reflect the high metal in the paint in a spectacular manner,” the 22-year old explains on Instagram.
The wheels are a bridge between the two worlds
The Astro Supreme wheels bring the two immiscible genres closer—truth be told, many real-life builds belonging to both camps have been riding on these goodies since the 1960s.
Stance is not the end-all and be-all for this vehicle, as the snake skin theme defining both the exterior and the cabin would’ve easily set the car apart on its own.
For one, the sides of the Shelby Cobra feature engraved areas whose texture perfectly sticks to the theme, while the airbrush work and ghosted stripes take things even further. And would you look at the fuel filler cap!
The seats (need we mention the type of leather they’re covered in?) were borrowed from a 1977 Lincoln and while their weight will further upset racers, the pixel master has a solid reason for the transplant: “when you’re lowridin’ you need the plushy seats,”
Now, in an era when AC Cars itself is building electric versions of the iconic roadster (not to mention all those Tesla swaps the aftermarket does), can one really be disturbed by a proposal like this one? If the answer is yes, “somebody” might wish to skip the second Insta post below, which shows the artist’s habit of messing with legends in low-riding fashion via a 1963 Corvette he portrayed last year.
