Factory 5 Cobra Detonates Driveshaft //DT240
Us photographer types tend to migrate to one another, so I’ve known Mark Gearhart for a few years now. Gearhart is one of the most talented photographers and videographers I’ve ever met, and I follow him and his work closely, so when I found out he had been to Hoonigan HQ to hang out for an afternoon, I knew I wanted to share that Daily Transmission.
Unfortunately the day didn’t go as Mark and the Hoons had hoped, but at least we do get some great close-up footage of his insane Factory 5 Cobra build, a project that Gearhart took an intentionally unusual approach to. Starting with Factory 5’s kit, Mark decided his build would not have those iconic white Cobra stripes, so he went with a low-key badass matte grey finish with a single offset stripe in a dark rusty red color that’s both unique and understated, but undeniably cool, which just happens to describe Mark’s personality as well.
Under the car’s hood, a 5.1 liter Coyote V8 cranks out well north of 500 horsepower to the wheel, which doesn’t sound insane until you factor in the car’s 2,400 pound curb weight, giving it a horsepower-to-weight ratio similar to that of a Patriot missile. The car is decked out with accents and accessories that show Mark’s insane attention to detail and really set this build apart from others. Everything is either billet, carbon fiber, or electronic, as in the huge AEM Infinity display in the carbon fiber dash that replaces the analog gauges with an insanely cool digital display. The billet shifter and handbrake are ridiculously cool and work to tie in with the other billet accents elsewhere in the car.
Out back, a massive rear wing earns the car the personalized “DWNFORC” license plate, while more billet aluminum houses the trick taillight assemblies. There is no denying Mark put a ton of thought, time, energy and money into this build, and it shows. Unfortunately, one small part failure – the short aluminum driveshaft – would end the cars burnout fun before it even started, leaving the car disabled on the dock and Mark without a ride. A tow truck was called and the is probably already back up and running with a new driveshaft in place, so maybe Mark will have a chance to go back to Hoon HQ and make some clouds!
