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The Ford Shelby GR-1 is a reminiscent of the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
with a Ford V8 engine designed by Carroll Shelby in the 60's after his retirement
from his racing career. More than 40 years later, Shelby and Ford have joined
forces once again to create the Ford Shelby GR-1. The GR-1 which means Group
Racing 1 packs a modern punch with more than 600 horsepower designed with an
aluminum body.
Under the hood the Ford Shelby
GR-1 has an aluminum-block, 6.4-liter V10 engine that produces
605 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 501 lb-ft of torque at 5,500
rpm. The Ford Shelby
GR-1 has enough power to hit from 0-60 mph in less than
four seconds and it has a remarkable performance even without
the aid of a turbocharger. Unlike most high performance cars the Ford Shelby
GR-1 is a traditional front-engine design, created in part to
fit the designer's idea for the car's shape. The transmission is
a six-speed transaxle and it is mounted in the rear to provide
better weight distribution.
The Ford Shelby
GR-1 also features a
limited-slip differential and rear-wheel drive. An electronic
limiter keeps the vehicle's top speed well under 200 mph. Aside
from its engine specifications the Ford Shelby GR-1 also
features Ricardo six-speed manual transaxle. Its stopping power
is managed by Brembo discs with four-piston monoblock calipers
with 14-inch front and 13.2-inch rear. To keep it under control
on the tarmac it has Goodyear tires with 275/40R-19 Goodyear
Tire IQ in front and 345/35R-19 Goodyear Tire IQ at the rear.
Its handling capabilities features the front and rear unequal
A-Arms, control arms, coil springs, monotube dampers, anti-roll
bar. To sum-up all of its components it has a curb weight of
3,900 pounds.
Inside the Ford Shelby
GR-1 is a digital
speedometer that reveals the cars modern design. Unlike most
high performance cars the Ford Shelby
GR-1 has a stereo that can play MP3s
and it can record and playback, ostensibly so drivers can record
notes about the track while they take practice laps.
Noise-dampening frequencies give the Ford Shelby
GR-1 a quiet street ride.
Looking at the Tire IQ display at the center of the dash
features sensors in the tires and a built-in accelerometer
measure tire temperature and pressure as well as cornering and
braking g-forces. Aside from its instruments the seats are
carbon shells equipped with racing-style harnesses.
Like most sophisticated cars,
creating the Ford Shelby
GR-1 started with the frame or the engine and once
the internal components are completed the body is shaped around
it. The Ford Shelby GR-1 was designed by Ford designer George
Saridakis and like all concept cars, the Ford Shelby
GR-1's main goal in
life is to lend prestige to the manufacturer. The design relied
on Shelby's simpler vision of high-performance and that is
putting a lot of high-quality parts in a well-designed car. Ford Shelby
GR-1's sophisticated and advanced designs came from the
production Ford GT because it was based on its chassis and
suspension so the designers didn't have to go out on any limbs
for the Ford Shelby
GR-1.
With Ford Shelby
GR-1's production
possibilities, people at Ford showed some signs that they might
put it into production. First, they created a working car, not
just a showroom mockup. Second, with so much of the Ford Shelby
GR-1 built
around parts from the GT, a large percentage of the car is
already what the engineers call "production feasible."
Although Ford did not state any price range for the Ford Shelby
GR-1 it was
estimated to cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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