Drift Cobra Racing Car by Ugears

0-60 mph in 4 Seconds

The Drift Cobra Racing Car is a beautifully-styled, two-seat convertible—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 a 7.0 litre 450-510 horsepower engine, did 0-60 mph in just over 4 seconds, and had a top speed of 185 mph.

Driven by a powerful spring motor, the Ugears Drift Cobra racing car has the fastest 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 winding your 3-D wooden Drift Cobra model racing car, move the air filter that protrudes from the hood toward the windshield, and flip the switch in front of the passenger-side seat into the Lock position (parallel to the door). Now twist the ratchet underneath the car's body. After 6 to 6.5 turns of the knob the spring 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 the desired position (Reverse, Neutral, Drive). To start the model, set it down on a flat surface, slide the air filter forward, and watch your Cobra lay rubber in a spin out (start with the wheels turned to one side), do circles, or speed down the track in a straight line.

We think this 3D puzzle / DIY model is a beaut, with its fat tires, bulging curves (thanks to pieces that are precision laser-cut into fine 1mm plywood), a big open mouth up front, and open-air convertible design. This wooden car's moving parts include turning front wheels, doors that open, and a hood and trunk that can be raised. Instead of a rubber band motor we've used a powerful spring mechanism to provide the "muscle" in this racer and extend the model's usable life. The ratchet mechanism means you don't have to hold the knob the entire time you're winding the model—potential energy is stored with each twist, without slippage, until the strong internal spring is fully loaded.

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

Model size: 25.5*21*11.5 cm
Number of components: 370
Estimated time for assembly: 9 hours

Assembling and discovering Ugears models is a smart and engaging hobby for grown-ups and kids of all ages. All Ugears models are made of sustainably sourced wood and require neither glue nor special tools to be fully assembled into functional working models.  Also, there is no need for batteries or any external power source as they are powered by rubber bands, gears, cranks and gravity.

Each Ugears model is not just a construction kit but an incarnate IDEA of a PERFECT mechanism. Putting them together, you bring the idea to life.

This model is only one of many that we stock in our Ugears Model Kits range from Ugears Australia. This range is also part of our STEM Engineering & Construction collection, which has even more building kits for you to choose from.