Tuesday 6th January 2004

Shelby Cobra Concept

600bhp V10 pays homage to the Cobra 427

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Carroll Shelby recently started working with Ford again and the fruits of their labours were unveiled in Detroit.

Ford have played it sensibly with the development of the new Cobra. Rather than incur the huge costs of developing the car from scratch the car draws heavily on the design of the Ford GT - particularly the space frame, suspension and brakes.

The styling deliberately harks back to the great original using a large grille, the hood scoop, vertical bumper bars and stacked lamps front and rear. It's very definitely a modern looking car however thanks to its slab sided styling.

The big news is what's under the bonnet however. Ford engineers knew that a spiritual successor to the awesome Cobra 427 would require tarmac ripping power. That comes in the shape of a 6.4 litre, naturally aspirated V10 delivering 605bhp and 501 lb-ft of torque! Even the development car can manage sixty miles per hour in less than four seconds. The monster motor is coupled to a six speed transaxle by a 'torque tube'. This is simply a propshaft running that spins at engine speed connecting the motor to the gearbox. By mounting the gearing at the rear it's allowed the designers to keep the mechanicals from intruding into passenger foot space. There are no offset pedals in this car.

The car itself is basic. It weighs in at around 1360kg yet has no roof, no side glass and not even a radio.  "That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ."

Links: Cobra Links

[Larco]

Carol Shelby said:

"That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ."

Now where have heard that design philosphy before?
Blackpool perhaps

[vodkakid]

Whoops!

[squirrelz]

1360kg isn't light though is it.

Editted to say - add an average Yank and you're up to 1500kg

>> Edited by squirrelz on Monday 5th January 17:43

[olly]

The Cerbera has a roof, side & rear windows, stereo etc etc & weights 1200kgs? (I'm talking real weight as opposed to TVR weight).....

Ok, so the new Cobra has a bit more power, but's no fly weight!

[PetrolTed]

Larco said:

Carol Shelby said: "That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ." Now where have heard that design philosphy before? Blackpool perhaps

Errr...

[chassis]

Why does this car look so sad?
Can it see itself?

[williamp]

Larco said:

Carol Shelby said: "That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ." Now where have heard that design philosphy before? Blackpool perhaps

No. Molsheim. You're thinking of a pre war Bugatti...

[ross]

I thought i noticed some chimera themes in there somewhere

in particular:
front - chimera?
rear 3/4 - chimera?
boot - griff?

[LuS1fer]

It's been invited to the Ugly Bug Ball.

[goo-goo-gjoob]

he's right, that grill does make it look sad.

[ScoobyManchester]

What's the deal with those lights?

[HarryW]

ross said:

I thought i noticed some chimera themes in there somewhere in particular: front - chimera? rear 3/4 - chimera? boot - griff?

Whilst I don't necessarily agree with the direct comparasons above. I do think that it looks like it owes much more of its parentage to TVR than it does AC cobra, or is that just me agian

Harry

[LuS1fer]

I think most sports cars owe most of their parentage to the original AC Cobra, Griff included.

[anonymous-user]

Sad. Maybe. But aren't we all. So if I had to, then I'd take one. As for weight, I can imagine that half of that is just the engine. The problem will be that to make it into production, the marketing guys won't accept a car without radio, a/c, side windows, cup holder, etc, etc - so then it will be sad AND fat!

[james]

I think it looks fantastic. Just like an updated Cobra should. I just hope it makes it to production (and at a sensible cost).

James

[RichB]

Carol Shelby really does take the biscuit! He behaves as if he alone created the entire AC phenomenon, the fact that they were one of Britain's oldest car manufacturers, established in something like 1908, seems to have entirely passed him by. 40 years ago he got lucky and built the Cobra by putting a Ford V8 into an AC Ace, now he would have us all believe he IS AC cars. Meanwhile driven by his massive ego and the business acumen of Attila-the-Hun he has again forced AC into receivership, this time most likely, for the final time. When will he be happy, who knows? But one wonders how many more of these Carol Shelby “inspired” ego trips we will have to endure, because sure as his 10 gallon hat probably holds 15, he will never graciously accept that there were three players in the creation of the Cobra and he was but just one of them. Rich...

[dinkel]

williamp said:

Larco said: Carol Shelby said: "That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ." Now where have heard that design philosphy before? Blackpool perhaps No. Molsheim. You're thinking of a pre war Bugatti...

...................
Yep, this guy knows his history. There was life before TVR.

The good thing about the original Cobra was its no-nonsense concept: no hitech bits. Like an original 7 but then bigger.

[Stig]

"That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ."

That's also the formula for massive claims from US citizens who chuck them into the scenery

[The Wiz]

dinkel said:

williamp said: Larco said: [quote=Carol Shelby]"That’s the formula ," said Carroll Shelby. "It’s a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car ." Now where have heard that design philosphy before? Blackpool perhaps No. Molsheim. You're thinking of a pre war Bugatti...

...................
Yep, this guy knows his history. There was life before TVR.[quote]

If anything TVR ripped off Shelbys ideas ... mind you big engines were nothing new. Even earlier than Bugatti (most of which (aside from the Royale with its 12.7 litre Railcar engine) were relatively small displacement engines)




I give you the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ... Mercedes aero engine 20 or so litres!

[charlieheard]

OK, I'm sad, but the racer was Chitty Bang Bang, built and raced by Count Zborowski (or something like that) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was the book by Ian Fleming and then the musical.

A race-car recipe in the 1920s was to take an old chassis (pre-WW1) and stick in an old aero engine (ex-WW1 aircraft). Seems like the recipe for the original cobra...