Car of Tomorrow
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| Successor | Generation 6 (NASCAR) |
|---|---|
| Technical specifications | |
| Length | 206 in (523.2 cm) |
| Width | 78.5 in (199.4 cm) |
| Height | 53 in (134.6 cm) |
| Wheelbase | 110 in (279.4 cm) |
| Engine | 358 cubic inches (5,870 cc) FR layout |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Weight | 3450 lbs (1565 kg) (Gen 5) 3,250 lbs (Gen 6 Sprint Cup) 3,200 lbs (Xfinity) |
| Fuel |
Sunoco Unleaded: 2007–2011 Sunoco Green E15: 2011–present |
| Competition history | |
| Debut | March 25, 2007 (2007 Food City 500) |
| Last event | November 18, 2012 (2012 Ford 400) |
The Car of Tomorrow is the common name used for the chassis that accompanies the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (since 2008 as a full-time) and Xfinity Series (since 2011 as a full-time) race cars. The car was part of a five-year project to create a safer vehicle following several deaths in competition, particularly the 2001 crash that took the life of Dale Earnhardt.
Best known for being used as the fifth generation car style for the Cup Series, the original Car of Tomorrow body design was larger and boxier than the design it replaced, and criticized for its generic appearance and poor handling characteristics. The CoT, however, implemented dramatic safety improvements, cost less to maintain, and was intended to make for closer competition.
The car was introduced in the 2007 Cup season at the Food City 500 on March 25 and ran a partial schedule of 16 races. The plan was to require all teams to use the new car in 2009, but NASCAR officials moved the date up to the 2008 season as a cost-saving measure. The fifth-generation car's body style was retired by NASCAR car after the 2012 Ford EcoBoost 400. The sixth-generation car, which featured the additional chassis safety improvements but utilized improved body designs, debuted in 2013; many teams simply removed the fifth-generation car bodies, added the new chassis safety improvements, and installed a sixth-generation car body.
In 2010, the Xfinity Series (then the Nationwide Series) debuted its own version of the CoT in a partial schedule, using the same chassis but different bodies and a wider wheelbase; teams could take old Sprint Cup cars, change the bodies, and run them in the Nationwide Series, provided they passed recertification. The car was required for full-time competition in 2011.
On January 11, 2006, NASCAR revealed the Car of Tomorrow, also referred to as the "Car of the Future" during its development, after a five-year design program sparked mainly by the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in a final-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. During the prior season, three drivers (Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Jr. and Tony Roper) had perished in on-track accidents. The then-current cars were based on a design by Holman Moody first used for the 1966 Ford Fairlane. The primary design considerations for the new car were "safety innovations, performance and competition, and cost efficiency for teams."
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