2008 Bailey Blade Concept

These very nice sketches of a proper supercar are the work of Nick Bailey who wanted to create an affordable sportscar that captures the look and feel of old school cars but with today’s race technology and performance. He called it the Bailey Blade Concept. It’s not hard to see that his inspiration came from the stunning Shelby Cobra.
Under the hood, Bailey has permission to a Roush V8 unit delivering 400 to 500 bhp. The engine compartment however is designed to accommodate most small block V8s including the newer Ford modular 4.6L engine. But according to the 35-year-old designer, the Blade will be available once it has been track tested and performs as expected with all the bugs worked out. His plan is to have it for sale by end of 2008.

Media Release

Who is the Blade’s designer?

The Blade idea and design was conceived by Neal Bailey, age 35, in July 2007.

What is the concept behind the Blade?

There were
several ideas that went into the Blade Concept. First, I looked at just about
every sports car on the road, both old and new to determine a style that would
fit in with today’s cars. The idea was to incorporate modern and classic styling
into a single flowing design. Many days were spent considering cars on the road
and sketching ideas that came to me while sitting in traffic. The concept
literally started from the ground up. Inspired by the legendary Shelby Cobra,
the idea was to have something that had the raw power and look of the classic
60s cars, but with today’s suspension technology and performance characteristics
of a modern sports car. Once an idea was conceived I designed the concept in
CAD.

Many considerations went into the CAD development. The
chassis was designed using an existing chassis from a Replica Cobra but with
several modifications to accommodate a modern adjustable independent front and
rear suspension. After the chassis was designed, work began on the body and the
overall look of the car. I wanted to make it sleek, sexy and aggressive. From
the very beginning there was one specific goal for this car; that was to make
sure that tall people could fit in it comfortably and look good as well. Since I
am 6′4″ it has always been difficult to fit into small sports cars. And not to
mention the ridiculous look of a driver’s head peaking over the front
windshield. Special precautions were taken to design the car in such a way that
anyone who is 6′6″, possibly taller can easily fit into the car. I expanded the
engine compartment to accommodate most engine and trans combinations, including
enough room for big block and modular engines.

What was the
inspiration for the Blade?

The primary inspiration for the car has
to be attributed to the Classic Shelby Cobra. I have always wanted a Cobra,
although it’s ironic, that when I finally got a replica of one, I immediately
wanted to design and build my own version of a dream car. Although the Cobra was
the main inspiration, there were several other car designs that helped me grasp
the modern perspective.

Will the Blade be available over seas?

Another key factor for this car beside fitting tall folks… is that
we would like to provide the Blade over seas. The car is being developed to
accept both left and right hand drive versions. Therefore we are working hard to
meet European standards for this type of car.

What’s left to do
before we see a rolling prototype?

There is still a ways to go. We
are in the early stages of constructing the first prototype. Plans are to have
it rolling by mid 2008.

When should we see the Blade for
sale?

It will be available once the car has been track tested and
performs as expected with all the bugs worked out. The plan is to have it for
sale by end of 2008.

How much do you expect the car to sell
for?

At this time price has not yet been determined… the plan is to
make it affordable! We do not plan to sell it for supercar prices, that’s for
sure. Pricing will be released once it’s closer to the molding process, at that
point, the cost analysis should be more easily determined.