Car of Tomorrow

The Car of Tomorrow was the common name for the chassis that NASCAR used in its Cup Series from 2007 to 2012 and in the Xfinity Series from 2011. It came out of a five-year project to make stock car racing safer after several drivers died in competition, notably Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500. Compared with the car it replaced, the driver sat four inches nearer the center, the roll cage moved back, and larger crumple zones and impact absorbing foam were built into both sides. The body was larger and boxier and used an adjustable front splitter, and early cars carried a detached rear wing before NASCAR returned to a spoiler in 2010. Each make raced a common template body, sold as the Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry. It was replaced by the sixth-generation car in 2013.