Does this mean no more Charger, Monte Carlo, Taurus, etc.?
Will everyone be in the same model of cars?
Here's a few words from Inside Racing NewsAT THIS LINK
http://insiderracingnews.com/PR2006/PreSeason/012306a.html
The Car of Tomorrow began as a design five years ago, progressing through simulation, laboratory and wind tunnel tests. Of primary significance are the safety innovations: the Car of Tomorrow is four inches wider and two inches taller than current NASCAR race cars. The driver compartment, or roll cage, has been shifted three inches to the rear. The drivers seat has been shifted four inches to the right, allowing more protection from a drivers side impact. More crush-ability is built into the car on both sides, ensuring even more protection.
The Car of Tomorrow exhaust system is another safety innovation. It runs through the body, diverting heat away from the driver and exiting on the right side.
Another important Car of Tomorrow feature is performance how the car handles in traffic and reacts to downforce. The project represents the latest move by NASCAR to reduce current cars aerodynamic dependence, and several innovations have addressed it:
The windshield is more upright, designed to increase the amount of drag, thereby slowing the cars. The more box-like front bumper, which is three inches higher and thicker, catches air rather than deflecting it, another way to slow the car. The air intake is below the front bumper, which eliminates the problem of overheating. Wind-blown trash can cover current car grilles, blocking air flow.
Several components both those built into the Car of Tomorrow and those being tested will make the car easier to drive in traffic. Some of those components also are bolt-on, bolt-off pieces that teams can use to tune their cars, making them cost-efficient as well. Those include:
The splitter, a flat shelf below the front bumper that can be adjusted. A wing, like those commonly used in sports car series, also is a possibility. It fits on the cars rear deck lid, in the same spot where the spoiler is bolted. The spoiler, a NASCAR staple, is a straight line on the Car of Tomorrow, rather than curved, as on current cars. A straight spoiler yields more stability in traffic.