Based in Costa Mesa, California, Paul Lefevre’s Son of Cobra has been hand-crafting some of the best surfboards on the planet. His Instagram is littered with the gorgeous models he offers and artsy shots of his sanding room. What you may not know about Paul is that he is a BMW man. And using his exceptional talents with carbon composite materials learned from years of crafting surfboards, he decided to build himself arguably my favorite car of all time. His 1969 BMW 1602 that he completely restored out of hand-laid carbon fiber. I’ll let that sink in for a moment because it is as cool as it sounds. Once he realized his market potential, he started listing some of his custom carbon designs for us mere mortals to purchase on his site. Since then he has only seen success and truly is living the dream. Living in near the beach and building bad-ass BMWs when you aren’t too busy surfing sounds about as good as life can get.

Paul is one of my idols for many reasons, but the main reason is his dedication to his craft and product. I’ve seen him in a few videos speaking to his craft and you can tell it is pure passion for him. It’s so blissful and raw. There is nothing better than a passionate person speaking about what they love. Paul’s rare commitment to detail is more than evident — it’s ingrained in the very fabric of every carbon fiber piece he produces. Even rarer than someone that loves to hone their craft, is someone that is a true innovator and trailblazer. Paul does both of these extremely well. He has obviously been making surf boards for a long time and pivoting to classic BMW motorsports is a big change. Having the keen eye to see that the parallels between carbon fiber car parts and surfboards are not that far apart takes a deep knowledge and love. I’ve always greatly respected people that can do what they love and make money doing it. Paul is someone that I would love to sit down and have a beer with. Not only to discuss the intricacies of carbon fiber production, but also to chat BMWs. If you love classic BMWs, you are already a leg up in my book, especially if we are talking e10 chassis.

Speaking of e10s, let’s talk through his 1602 build and carbon fiber additions in more detail. Starting at the heart of his 1602, Paul swapped in an S14 engine sourced from the coveted E30 M3. Adding around 100hp to the stock car, it definitely did not need to be reskinned in carbon fiber. However, that’s exactly what Paul did. Shaving a few hundred pounds of the weight from the car, Son of Cobra’s reimagined version is extremely light. This is increasingly important as this is not a heavy car to begin with so making even lighter is paramount. As Colin Chapman once said, “Simplify, then add lightness”. One of the best parts of the build is the flared wheel arches. Not only does it add quite a bit of aggression to the looks, but allows for much wider wheels. With wider wheels comes wider tires and that enables the car to actually put down the power from the built S14. Being so light to begin with, traction starts to become a problem as the car gets lighter, so those wider tires are crucial to keeping the car out of a ditch.

While there are many things to drool over, my favorite part has to be the unpainted carbon on the underside of the hood and roof. I love that it shows that its carbon, but its not the focal point of the car. Showcasing the carbon in that way is such a massive flex without being ridiculously flashy. As I have said before, OEM+ is my jam so painting over all of that carbon bodywork is the chef’s kiss for me. Every time I see this car, even in photos, I get chills. It’s so epic and built to the standard most can only dream about. It truly is my favorite car and Son of Cobra is the first place I am going if I win the Powerball.

Possibly accidentally, Son of Cobra created a new market for classic cars. Classic cars, like the iconic BMW 2002 and 1602, hold a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts. Yet, to keep these legends on the road, embracing modern materials is essential. This is where Son of Cobra’s work becomes crucial. His carbon fiber parts breathe new life into these classics, marrying heritage with cutting-edge technology. Not only do they enhance performance, but they also do so with a nod to the authenticity that makes classic cars timeless. I believe his work will inspire others to start the new wave of resto-mods for a new generation. As Gen X and Millennials start to want to hold on to classics, making them more viable, reliable, and modern is cornerstone to keeping them on the road. 

But once you have built a brand to this degree, my question is “what’s next for Son of Cobra?”. Paul does offer some additional parts for the E9 chassis BMWs but outside of that, his catalog is fairly limited to 2002/1602s. Not to take away from his work, but the first thing I thought once the sugar high of his product faded was, what other BMWs is he going to do? Although, I can’t afford it at the moment, I would certainly consider parts from him if he expand his catalog to other BMWs, especially e21 specific ones. For the record, the full Son of Cobra kit includes a hood, trunk, roof, door skins, as well front and rear panels and fenders costing $15K. Having said that, I would love a hood, roof, and trunk to drop some weight from mine if they were available. Perhaps not a full carbon fiber kit as he has done, but something a bit less drastic for my humble build. I’m young and dumb with plenty of time to rebuild my credit, why not?

One can only hope he loves BMW enough to keep building new and innovative products for diehards like myself. I am hoping that even if he doesn’t go full-on to more BMWs, he at least keeps helping other creators to make amazing projects. I know Paul has had his hand in some other one-off projects including Mike’s Ferrari 244 GTK hood. Yet another project that I rank among the greatest of all time, coincidence?

It’s clear that Son of Cobra’s “Motorsports Division” isn’t just building carbon fiber parts; he’s crafting a future for classic cars. His dedication to craftsmanship, focus on lightweight performance, and the potential to jumpstart a new market showcase a commitment to the evolution of automotive design. As we look to the future, the road is paved with carbon fiber — a testament to the fusion of classic elegance and modern innovation.