This weekend's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is very much a salute to the late Carroll Shelby with the 50th anniversary of his Cobra taking centre stage. In the paddock of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca a big tent has been erected where some of the most important Cobras are displayed. Earlier today, Shelby American and the Ford Motor Company revealed a tribute car in this tent. Dubbed the Shelby GT500 Cobra, this one-off is based on the recently updated GT500 Mustang. Finished in the famous metallic blue with white stripes, the spectacular machine boasts a wider body and a modified V8 engine which produces in excess of 850 bhp. In the coming months the GT500 Cobra will be taken on a tour around the country and most likely auctioned for charity. Ford also announced that a street running through the heart of the Ford Development Center in Dearborn has been renamed the Carroll Shelby Way.
At the nearby Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, McLaren Special Operations took the wraps off their first one-off creation. Known as the X-1 the MP4-12C based machine features unique lines penned by McLaren's Hong Yeo. It was built to special order from a client that already owned a McLaren F1 and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Although the design was inspired by several classic show and production cars, it is thoroughly futuristic. Today's debut will most likely be the McLaren X-1 Concept's only public appearance before it joins its owner's collection.
We are on the Monterey Peninsula this week and in the coming days and weeks you can expect detailed reports from both the Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering.

Enjoy the links:

2012 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 Cobra - Images, Specifications and Information

2012 McLaren X-1 Concept - Images, Specifications and Information