Check out this "Cobra"

[wlewis]

Ex-Chrysler and Ford engineering titan Chris Theodore unveiled a chassis at the SAE World Congress in Detroit last week that he says will cut vehicle weight and manufacturing costs and make electric vehicles more economically viable.

Theodore, now a consultant, showcased his Uni-Chassis, which connects front and rear powertrain and suspension components to a rigid backbone. He's targeting hybrids and electrics; instead of keeping the battery unit in a battery pack and reinforcing the body to support the pack, the Uni-Chassis backbone would house the battery.

"If it can be weight-efficient with a structure like Uni-Chassis, then that makes the business case more palatable," he said

Theodore was at Chrysler 12 years before joining Ford in 1999 as North American product chief. After retiring in 2004 he was CEO of supplier ASC Inc. and specialty-car maker Saleen Inc. He started his consulting firm in 2009.

Theodore plans to have a proof-of-concept Shelby Cobra built this year and says low-volume production could be possible in three years.
Reported by Automotive News 4/18/11

The slowest Cobra ever!

[Slither]

Nice color! Quite the back-up powerplant for an electric car!!


At first glance, it is the loongest tranny I've ever seen...



This is basically a tractor frame with a Cobra body on it...



OK, so it looks like a transaxle set up... I'd wonder if it will pass any crash-absorbtion test standards. Isn't that why the manufacturers went to the unibody construction of late? Also, I'd wonder if torsional rigidity may suffer in a design like that. MEs, what do you think? Interesting...

[spd4me]

Something about that photo isn't right. Wheel wells don't match chassie and look how high the rear end with shock is and the motor with the blower. Is that a black curtan hanging in the wheel wells? Doesn't look like an electric motor to me. Humm!!