Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept 2005

The Ford Shelby GR1 Concept was first introduced at Pebble Beach and then at the 2005 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Much like the original Ford GT and the 2004 Shelby Cobra Concept vehicles, the Shelby GR-1 was intended to be a fully engineered, production feasible road-going, drivable project vehicle.

"With the Ford GT and Ford Shelby Cobra Concept, we have a tremendous amount of experience quickly building high-performance cars, like the Shelby GR-1, with world-class performance, " says Phil Martens, group vice president, Product Creation. " Our goal this time around was not to create the ultimate top-speed, high performance sports car. Really, we intended to strike a better balance of design, capability and usability that might appeal to someone considering a Ferrari 575M Maranello."

The Shelby GR-1 starts with a modified version of the aluminium chassis from the rear engine Ford GT. The bulk of the rear structure is made from slightly modified Ford GT components, including the massive treillis-like, cast aluminium suspension nodes, the rear rails and bumper beam, a major cross-member and the brackets used to mount the transmission. The center portion of the space-frame also borrows liberally from the Ford GT as major aluminium extrusions are based heavily on existing pieces. At the front of the coupe, the team incorporated extruded main rails, a steering rack cross-member, crash-management sections and the bumper beam from the Ford GT.

The Ford Shelby GR-1 is a design with a long hood that blends seamlessly into the tear-drop shaped cabin with a fastback roofline and falling upper fender line. The optimized wheel arches and compact overhangs define the striking stance while the strong shoulder line and smooth taut surfaces express the car's graceful yet athletic nature. The polished aluminium body panels further express the highly sculptured surfaces and define the emotional proportions in dramatic fashion. The front of the Shelby GR-1 concept is dominated by an air-intake aperture and airflow splitter, directing cool air into the engine bay and wheel wells, while air vents on the upper surface of the hood exhaust hot air from the radiator. Additional intakes and vents perforate the body side to ensure cooling throughout.

The front corners of the Shelby GR-1 are dominated by substantial front wheel wells housing 19-inch wheels and tires and trapezoidal High Intensity Solid State headlamps. In the rear, a distinctive Kamm tail tapers to improve wind drag and features integrated transmission cooler oulets and a ground-effects venturi. It is further defined by a strong concave section and bold vertical taillamps. The Shelby GR-1 concept's butterfly doors have distinctive teardrop shaped side glass graphics that create an elongated appearance, blending seamlessly into integrated door-release handles.

Inspired by the biggest, wildest engine of them all - the renowned 427 - Ford engineers created a new aluminium block V10 to power the 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra concept. This 390 cubic inch, 6,4 liter engine, reprised for service in the Shelby GR-1 concept. It delivers 605 horsepower and 501 foot-pound of torque. This combination of brute force and thorough engineering has created a rarity in the world of auto shows, a concept car that can actually do, rather than merely promise, 0-60 mph (0-98 kph) in under four seconds, and would easily exceed 200 mph (320 kph) if not electronically limited.

"After I drove the 2004 Cobra concept, I knew we had a winner in the 6,4 liter V-10," says Carrol Shelby, renowned race driver and consultant on the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept. " We decided to transplant that engine directly to the GR-1 with practically no changes, right down to the rear-mounted transmission, which really helps the weight distribution."

Unfortunately, the Ford Shelby GR-1 never reached a production stage.

Paul Damiens - Photos by Ford

Wallpapers of Ford Shelby GR1 Concept 2005 (click on picture to enlarge)