Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept Displays Performance Art

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Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept Displays Performance Art

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., August 13, 2004 -- Ford took the occasion of the world’s foremost showcase of automotive splendor, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, to unveil the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept, calling the new sports car a salute to “performance art.”
The Ford Shelby GR-1 is a uniquely emotional American sports car design that makes a bold statement about Ford’s performance future.

Racing inspired and wholly modern in design, the Ford Shelby GR-1 builds on the success of the Ford Shelby Cobra concept -- the 2004 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) "Best in Show" winner -- and reinforces Ford's on-going commitment to performance excellence.

“The Ford Shelby Cobra concept was a small step in our plans for the Ford GT supercar architecture and our relationship with Carroll Shelby,” says J Mays, Ford Motor Company group vice president of Global Design. “And the Ford Shelby GR-1 is a giant leap toward the future.”

The GR-1 concept takes the performance car genre in a new direction combining modern sculptured surfaces in a sleek muscular fastback design. The result is a forward-looking supercar with attention grabbing Ford presence and Carroll Shelby inspiration. The Ford Shelby GR-1 is a front-engined, two-seat, fastback supercar that is based on the architecture of the Ford GT.

The Ford Shelby GR-1 concept has a sinewy, athletic design with a dramatic front engine proportion. The long hood blends seamlessly into the teardrop-shaped cabin while the dramatic fenders dart rearwards into curvaceous haunches thrusting the car forward and enhancing the aggressive stance and width.

The car looks as if it is in motion even when standing still. The optimized wheel arches and compact overhangs define the dramatic proportion while the sensual surfaces express the car’s athletic nature. A chiseled physique is achieved with sheer and full surfaces working together, interfacing one another in harmonious lines such as the strong shoulder line orbiting the car’s form.

The front of the GR-1 is dominated by an impressive air intake aperture and air flow splitter, directing cooling air into the engine bay and wheel wells, while air vents on the top surface of the hood exhaust hot air from the radiator.

The V10 engine pushes unashamedly upwards into the hood’s surface exposing prominent bulges -- a potent reminder of the car’s powerful performance -- while air vents at the base of the front screen allow the motor to breathe.

Inspiration for the Ford Shelby GR-1 came from George Saridakis, a young designer new to Ford in 2000 who was known for his contributions in executing the details of some of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury’s latest production and concept designs. In Ford's Irvine Advanced Design Studio, Saridakis created a sketch that caught the attention of the Irvine team and resonated with Mays.

“George produced this completely resolved sketch -- the best I’ve seen in 10 years,” says Mays. “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.’”

Remarkably, only the original sketch of the car, in three perspectives, was created.

“George nailed it in one crack,” Mays opines. “This is a designer so masterful at visualizing every aspect of the car and its story that it literally flowed out of his pen. And because the design is so pure, we really believe this show car will be a hit.”

By: Brad Nevin | Ford Communications Network
http://media.ford.com/newsroom/featu...?release=18581