Stunning 2005 concept will hit the streets in two years, but it won't come from Ford.
Every car enthusiast fantasizes about the ones that never made it, the concepts that sparkled so brilliantly on the auto show floor only to be destined for a secret warehouse or even worse, the crusher. For me, two concepts that for so long I wished had been produced were the 2010 Lancia Stratos and the 2005 Ford Shelby GR-1. At Geneva last year, a small company, Manifattura Automobili Torino, made a surprise announcement that it would begin producing the Stratos. My first wish had been fulfilled, and now it's the Shelby GR-1's turn, as Car and Driver is reporting that Superformance will be building replicas of the 2005 concept.
Superformance is based in Irvine, California and specializes in replica and continuation models of early 1960s racers, such as the Shelby Cobra, Ford GT40, and Corvette Grand Sport. It even makes replicas of the Shelby Daytona, which the 2005 GR-1 Concept heavily referenced. There are few specifics on the powertrain, but it probably won't retain the concept's 605-hp 6.4-liter V10 (which borrowed elements from the Ford GT's V8). However, the company did reveal it has joined forces with Shelby American to develop an electric version to sit alongside the gas-powered one. CEO Lance Stander also divulged that they are targeting a two-second 0-60 mph sprint.
The car is still two years off, likely arriving near the beginning of 2021. At launch, there will be a 200-unit special edition that will wear aluminum bodies, which can be either polished or painted. After this limited run the rest of the replicas will feature carbon-fibre bodies. The weight difference between the two materials has yet to be made public, along with the replica's official name. The name will likely include both the Shelby and the GR-1 monikers. It may still be a ways off, but we can't wait to see what Superformance and Shelby American can do.
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