In 2007, NASCAR introduced a new car that was designed by researchers in the NASCAR Research and Development Center, with input from drivers and team owners. The "Car of Tomorrow", as it was called then, has three purposes: Increasing safety, keeping the cars more competitive, and decreasing the rate at which the costs of ownership are increasing.

The overwhelming advantage of the new car design is safety. The cockpit area is two inches taller with larger window openings that allow the driver to get out of the car faster. The driver is seated closer to the center of the car, which moves him away from the driver's side door and the roll bars.

NASCAR uses an innovative new door design, including IMPAXX^TM foam, to better protect the driver in side impacts.