Ford's Supercar Plans Take Shape

By Feann Torr

Not content to offer just one Ferrari-rivalling supercar in the form of the Ford GT, the Blue Oval has come up with another go-fast concept, the Ford Shelby GR-1.

Ford took to the wraps off the spectacular new 6.4-litre V10-powered concept at the highbrow 'Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance' automotive event in California, calling the new sports car a salute to "performance art."

While Ferrari, Lamborghini et al have been honing their "performance art" for many decades already, such a statement (and indeed the new concept) suggests that Ford wants to be a power player in the exotica stakes.

And speaking of power, how about this for a hefty peak output: 451kW @ 6750rpm.

Fitted with a 6.4-litre 90º V10 engine, the GR-1 is well and truly a bona fide supercar, and if the more than 600 ponies on tap doesn't tickle your fancy, then 679Nm of torque (500 ft lbs) @ 5500rpm should.

The dual overhead camshaft 10-cylinder motor has 4-valves per cylinder for a total of 40-valves and redlines @ a screaming 7500rpm.

The engine is also front mounted like that of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, giving it a different persona than that of the mid-mounted Ford GT.

The naturally aspirated 390 cubic-inch Ford engine is mated to a 6-speed Ricardo manual transmission driving the rear wheels, and though no performance times have been supplied by FoMoCo, expect the 1770kg supercar to challenge the Mercedes SLR McLaren in 0-100km/h and quarter-mile times.

Take one glance at the photos and its plain to see that the GR-1 makes use of big-time rubber to deal with the copious amounts of power on offer. The 19-inch rims are shod with tyres measuring 275/40 at the front and 345/35 at the rear.

The GR-1 concept is a follow-up to the Ford Shelby Cobra concept that was shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), and features a very long front end.

This, together with the teardrop-shaped cabin and a low 1.16m height, combine to give the GR-1 an eye-catching mixture of contemporary and retro styling cues, not to mention a good dose of visual aggression.

Short front and rear overhangs reinforce the car's handling potential and give it to-die-for proportions, while an impressive front air dam directs cooling air into the engine bay, while air vents on the bonnet extract hot air.

The front corners of the GR-1 are dominated by the front wheel well and trapezoidal HISS (high intensity solid state) and LED headlamps. The distinctive Kamm tail - a salute to Ford's of yore - has a strong concave section and is further defined by the bold vertical tail lights at the rear.

Butterfly-hinged doors add the final touch to the car's exotic demeanour, and George Saridakis, a relatively young designer at Ford, has been praised for his work on the GR-1 by Ford's head of design.

"George produced this completely resolved sketch - the best I've seen in 10 years," said J Mays, Ford's global design chief. "When I saw it, it wasn't a matter of 'Let's do more sketches.' It was really more of a 'Let's get this into clay.'"

The Ford GT was also a concept car just a couple of years ago, and now it's almost ready to hit showrooms in the States, so the Ford Shelby GR-1 is definitely not just a pipe dream at this stage. Furthermore, interest in the American-style supercar is on the rise and given that Chrysler is rumoured to be going ahead with production of the quad turbocharged Chrysler ME Four-Twelve, thanks to an increase in overall profits, and with Saleen's well-established presence, the signs are there for an American revival of sorts.

Ford's design guru J Mays was clearly pumped with the GR-1, suggesting that it will pave the way for things to come: "The Ford Shelby Cobra concept was a small step in our plans for the Ford GT supercar architecture and our relationship with Carroll Shelby. And the Ford Shelby GR-1 is a giant leap toward the future."

Ford may decide it's in its interests to spend big on a longterm supercar plan involving more than one model, and such a "uniquely emotional American sports car design" - as Ford puts it - in the form of the GR-1 could create a trans-Atlantic power war with the highly-revered European marques of Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche.

If Ford's GT is a success - and early signs suggest it will be - there's a good chance the stunning GR-1 could also be part of the automaker's exotic portfolio in future.