Over the summer, Cobra Golf will release two special edition drivers. The first, debuting in July, is a creation based on a collaboration between Cobra equipment engineers and aerodynamics engineers at Ferrari. The result is a fast, beautiful, and expensive driver that is the centerpiece of the Ferrari Golf Collection.
The second special edition on its way is an all orange version of the Cobra AMP driver. Much like the all pink driver that PING created for Bubba Watson, Cobra has essentially done the same with the AMP driver for Rickie Fowler. For those that thought that the original AMP was a lot of orange, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Cobra Ferrari Driver
Cobra Golf has also entered the world of the super luxury golf equipment with the introduction of the Ferrari Golf Collection, the culmination of which is the Cobra Ferrari Driver. Cobra Golf engineers worked closely with Ferrari SpA aerodynamics engineers to create a “work of art,” in the words of Tom Preece, Vice President of Research and Development for Cobra. The result of their work is a multi-material driver that is more aerodynamic. The Ferrari engineers looked at the ZL driver and came to the conclusion that a few shape changes would reduce drag to create more club head speed. Among other things, the changes included a smoothing the surfaces on the sole, raising the trailing edge off the ground and new radii along the face perimeter. On top of this, a new mulit-material design was also used.
The new driver isn’t just about technology and performance though as there are some luxury aspects to it as well. The driver features a hand-stitched leather grip and a head cover made from genuine Ferrari leather. The driver also features a premium Fujikura Mortore Speeder shaft.
The driver isn’t the only item in the collection either as there are shirts, jackets and pants, as well as shoes. There is also a luxury golf bag available and a duffle bag. Select accessories, such as the last two mentioned, are crafted from Poltrana Frau Leather, which is the same leather used in Ferrari GT cars.
The driver retails for about $2,000 and the collection can be found at select golf retailers and Ferrari stores as well as some other high end retailers starting in July. More information on the availability of the collection can be found on ferrarigolfcollection.com.
Special Edition Orange AMP Driver
The special edition Orange AMP Driver was designed by Cobra with the help of Rickie Fowler, and according to Bob Philion, President of Cobra Puma Golf, “This Special Edition driver embodies what Cobra Golf is bringing tot the game of golf, a desirable package of performance, innovation and style.”
As far as performance and innovation goes, this driver is essentially the same as the off the rack version of the AMP driver with one big difference. The head is still the same and it has Cobra’s E9 Face technology with dual roll which gives the club a 30% larger sweet zone, resulting in more accuracy, distance, and forgiveness. It also still features Adjustable Flight Technology (AFT), which allows the golfer to set the face either open, square, or closed at address, as well as the Advanced Material Placement (AMP) technology for which the driver was named. The AMP technology redistributes up to 15 grams of weight to optimized distance and launch conditions.
The big difference from a performance stand point is a different shaft. The regular version of the club comes stock with the Aldila RIP shaft, but this is not the case with the SE, which comes stock with a customized Diamana D-Series Whiteboard. The driver comes in either regular or stiff flexes only.
All that aside, it’s the color that is the major difference here. Just like it’s the Pink that makes the Bubba driver the Bubba driver, it’s the vibrant orange that makes this the Rickie driver. The shaft mentioned above as well as the stock Lamkin R.E.L. 3Gen grip are both bright orange, as is the crown of the club. The face is black and the sole is black and orange. Even the box that the driver comes in is orange. The idea was to honor the “Sunday Orange” of Rickie Fowler, and they definitely have done that here.
The Orange AMP driver will be available starting August 1st in limited quantities at select retailers. The Manufactures Asking Price (MAP) is $499. As mentioned above, it is available in either regular or stiff flex shafts and comes with lofts of 9.5° or 10.5°. It is only available in right handed models.
Looks good for 20 and under crowd…