The Case for a Cobra coupe for 2014 based on GR-1

[Historybuff]

Back when Ford showed the GR-1 prototype coupe
both in painted form and polished alloy there was enthusiasm
but Ford wasn't profitable enough to put it in production. Well, now Ford is making money and now Chrysler has upped the ante by putting the 2013 Viper into production with a real interior this time. So how is it that Ford is the company famous for two seat sports cars but only Chrysler and Chevrolet have two seater sports cars? I say bring back the GR-1 as a 2014 model.
Ford has already sold one, sort of, they sold the painted one, which I am not sure was a running car or even had an engine. Might have been apushmobile, just a static display life size sculpture. But I say the guy that bought it could take that body, put it on a Cobra and he'd have the first GR-1. (It would be more fun with the alloy body!) . Anyhow here's a pic of the GR-1 painted car that was sold. Now if they would just sell the alloy bodied one, it would be more of a real car...

Cobra Ranch: The Cobra GR-1 Concept

[Silverback51]

In my opinion they would have to do a couple things first.

Redesign the front end. That head on view is ugly.

Second is put it on a diet. 3900 pounds? That's a 1000 to 1800 pounds heavier than a Cobra, and 600 to 700 pounds more than a Corvette.

[STL Mark]

What about a 2015 Ford GT -

2015 Ford GT

[Don]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

In my opinion they would have to do a couple things first.

Redesign the front end. That head on view is ugly.

Second is put it on a diet. 3900 pounds? That's a 1000 to 1800 pounds heavier than a Cobra, and 600 to 700 pounds more than a Corvette.

Agree.....adding price points, models, options, performance that would make it competitive with the Vette, Viper, etc.....

[decooney]

The GR-1 alloy car was at Concorso Italiano in Monterey five years ago or so. I gotta chance to speak with the lead designer and looked it over pretty good in person for at least an hour. It was a non functioning concept at the time and the interior was not in finished form yet, so the windows were tinted pretty dark, etc. A cool looking car even in concept form. The V10 Cobra we saw later that year was closer to a real car in comparison.

FWIW - there were a lot of interesting cars there that day and to my surprise the GR-1 really was not getting that much attention. Seemed kind of odd as older 70s Pantera cars right across from it got more attention. While eating lunch, we sort of watched who would walk up and ask or acknowledge the GR-1 car. For whatever reason, it just did not seem to get the same level of attention that other cars did around it. As I recall, I kept thinking it was a good concept but it did sort of look as if it just needed some more adjustments to the shape, maybe it needed to look a little lower or more sleek somehow. With today's designers and technology, it would be nice to see if Ford could come up with something between the GR-1 and Ford GT with a back seat, and something people could actually afford.