The future has been...
The future has been delayed - for cars that automatically obey speed limits, at least. Trials of 20 special Skoda Fabias at Leeds University are running late, due to problems getting the satellite-controlled equipment to work. The project, backed by the Government, is also awaiting the construction of a new simulator, which tests drivers" reactions to their vehicles slowing down.
Inspired by the historic...
Inspired by the historic 1965 Shelby Cobra 427, Ford designers have worked closely with Carroll Shelby - mastermind behind the original - to create a modern tribute to the classic. But while the Ford GT - now a production reality - looks near-identical to its predecessor, the Shelby Cobra blends many individual design features in a new shape.
The big front grille, vertical bumpers and bulging wheelarches are all familiar, but the overall result is a modern-looking machine. Designed by the team behind the GT, the Cobra shares the GT40-inspired car"s chassis and suspension, but there are a number of differences. The main change was to move the engine from its mid-mounted position to the front, providing the traditional front-engine/rear-wheel-drive Cobra layout.
Under the bonnet, though, Ford has done the unthinkable and produced a Shelby Cobra without a V8. Instead, the new car is fitted with an all-aluminium 6.4-litre V10, producing 605bhp and 679Nm of torque - and that"s without a turbo or a supercharger, which engineers hint would up power to 700bhp.
Even in naturally aspirated form, the Cobra covers 0-60mph in less than four seconds and will hit 190mph. Even the show car is capable of 100mph, revealing just how far into the development process Ford is. While insiders are still cagey about on-sale dates, the Cobra is set to follow a similar timescale to the GT and Mustang. That could see the production version arrive in 2005.
The deciding factor will be public reaction at the show, as J Mays, group vice president of Ford design, explained: "If we get the same response as we did to the GT, anything is possible." Despite taking only a few months to design, Ford seems to have succeeded, if the crowds of onlookers at Detroit were anything to go by. And style is just as prevalent inside - the sharp-edged dash holds an array of retro dials, while carbon fibre trim keeps weight down.
When the modern production Cobra arrives, it will spark off an old rivalry as it takes on the Corvette C6. Initial estimates suggest it will cost about í‚á£55,000.