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Ford's sportscar heritage is on full display in the 2005 model year and, not coincidentally, this weekend at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Ford's 550-hp GT is finally in the hands of its exclusive owners (Jay Leno among them - a red one with white stripes, if you must know) and the 2005 Mustang is in the pipeline. But what comes next as Ford puts the pedal to the metal in its sportscar lineup? Maybe, if you and other collectors ask often enough, this Ford Shelby GR-1 concept could be the third Ford to resurrect the musclecar era in body and soul.
The GR-1 is the result of one of the better collaborations in car history - that between Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company.Shelby, 81, who first joined up
with Ford in 1952, is one of the "key collaborators" on the stunning concept on display this weekend at Pebble Beach . And as we thought when Shelby showed up alongside the concept that became the 2005 Ford GT, it's not difficult to picture the GR-1 emerging as a successor to that supercar sometime after the GT's run of 1500 units is completed.
The story of the GR-1 is just the latest in the more than fifty years of Shelby/Ford stories, but it owes most of its existence to the recent rapprochement between the company and the man. Since 1965, Shelby had lent his name to a performance version of the then-new Mustang, and over the years, has worked on a variety of Ford's track and production programs. That relationship soured when Shelby followed former Ford President Lee Iacocca to Chrysler Corp. two decades ago. And until 2002, Shelby worked on plenty of side projects, including a car of his own using an Oldsmobile engine.
In 2002 Shelby and Ford made up, and the icon was brought to bear as Ford planned the GT supercar program. The success of that program has since led to even more cooperation, and Ford says that Shelby will have a hand in at least three or four different vehicle programs, starting with a high-performance version of the next-generation Mustang, which hits the streets next year. A Shelby-massaged Ford Expedition was announced this summer as well.
Ford's quest to recapture the Cobra magic took it first in the direction of the 2005 GT. And earlier this year, it showed another concept related mechanically to the GT and dubbed the Cobra. Shelby had become involved in that program in early 2003, and the car's mechanicals showed it: under the hood lie a 6.4-liter V-10 with 605 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque through 19-inch rear wheels. Ford and Shelby estimated that the Cobra concept would thrust to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 190 mph. However, the car's slab-sided looks didn't quite convey the essence of the Cobra, and response to its styling was muted.
The GR-1 suffers none of that equivocation. Not only does its stunning shape - penned by Ford designer George Saridakis, with Ford only since 2000 - capture the hard-edged glamour of Sixties racecars, Ford also says the concept is based on the architecture of the production GT supercar. The two-seat, front-engined fastback doesn't rest on the GT's haunches - it draws out a teardrop-shaped style all its own that could prove a convincing sell over the Viper or a super Corvette.
Best of all, Ford confirms that the engine installed is a V-10, as in the 605-hp Cobra concept. At that concept's introduction, Ford execs said that 700 hp for the V-10 was a distinct possibility, given more Shelby-fication.
Ford design chieftain J Mays says the GR-1 isn't merely a better Cobra design: "I see the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept as a gift to Carroll." Whether Ford passes that gift on to the rest of you remains to be seen. Stay tuned to TCC this weekend as we report from Pebble Beach and bring you more on the GR-1 concept.
if I could afford the insurance, I'd buy one 
