If you're a kit car enthusiast living in the U.K., you're likely familiar with D J Sportscars. However, I live in the heartland of the U.S., and only recently discovered their DAX website.
This family-owned kit car company has been around for over 25 years and has become one of the leading manufacturers of component car packages in the United Kingdom. They're the creators of the DAX Rush as well as a seriously beautiful Cobra replica they call the DAX Tojeiro. And based on the high praises the Tojeiro has received from racing greats and even an editor of Kit Car Magazine and Cobra Magazine, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are second to none.
From its state of the art technical specs, luxurious leather interior and top quality composite body to its Halibrand-style wheels and stainless steel sidepipe exhausts, the Tojeiro features painstakingly precise attention to detail. I'd say that the designers of the DAX Tojeiro have most definitely done its inspiration, the legendary Cobra, justice.
I found a photo of one Tojeiro the guys at D J Sportscars built to use as a demonstrator vehicle. Talk about an awesome vehicle! This bad boy has a Chevrolet big-block 502 cubic inch V8 under the hood that produces an incredible 567lb.ft. of torque. It goes from zero to 60 in just four seconds and has a top speed of more than 180MPH. Now that's a Cobra replica with a wicked bite!
Not too long ago, Jonathon Palmer (yes, the former Formula One driver) took a Tojeiro for a spin and here's what he had to say. "Wow, that's just staggering!" How's that for a seal of approval?
The Tojeiro chassis is built to maximize interior space and even provides inbuilt crumple zones in the front and rear to increase occupant safety. Other safety features that really caught my eye include the "Explosafe" fuel tank, optional braced roll-over hoops, impact-collapsible steering system and a protective structure that actually extends the full width of the car. Very impressive indeed.
One other feature that really blew me away is something the DAX designers call the CC&AR suspension. Check this out - the CC&AR, short for Camber Compensation and Anti-Roll Suspension System, is a patented cross-linked, double-wishbone suspension system that counters roll without the need for anti-roll bars. It maximizes traction grip and predictability by constantly keeping the tread on all four tires flat and in even contact with the road. Again, very impressive.
So what does building a DAX Tojeiro from the ground up likely cost? According to Nigel Dean, who's the technical editor for both Kit Car and Cobra magazines and who built a Tojeiro himself, a top flight Tojeiro will cost in the mid to high £20,000s, or around $39,680 in U.S. dollars.
For more information on the DAX Tojeiro, visit http://www.daxcars.co.uk or call D J Sportscars International at +44 (0) 1279 442661.
