The Ford GT has to be one of the most highly anticipated cars of the modern motoring era. After Ford unveiled the prototype to the public earlier this year it was clear that they were intent on capturing the magic of the original GT40 race car. The race car earned Ford a 1-2-3 podium finish at Le Mans in 1966. A remarkable achievement which Ford replicated this year, 50 years later, at Le Mans.
When Ford took 2 podiums at Le Mans this year in their respective class it became quite clear that the team behind the new Ford GT was hell bent on success. They had pulled it off at one of the world’s most grueling races, walked away unscathed and defeated seasoned rivals at their own game. The very race cars used share more than a name and similar design language with the Ford GT. They share, the same engine and have similar underpinnings.
One word can be used to describe the design of the road legal street car set to debut next year: Beautiful. Everything from the tail lights designed to look like turbines giving the impression of speed, to the intricately designed head lamps and those floating buttresses. There is no angle from which the Ford GT isn’t photogenic. This has to be the new wall pin up for the current generation of kids. The design isn’t just visual drama. There is a maturity to the way the car looks. The perfect homage to a homage if there ever was one.
For propulsion the Ford GT comes equipped as standard with Ford’s 3.5 liter Eco Boost V6 engine capable of producing more than 600ps. This is coupled to a seven speed dual clutch transmission which sends power to the rear wheels.
In the aero department the GT comes with an active rear wing which can change shape to enhance the cars handling by creating down force. The buttresses on either side of the car also help to improve airflow over the car and reduce drag while increasing down force. They also serve the dual purpose of improving the structural rigidity of the car.
In the cockpit the seats are bolted directly to the carbon fiber passenger cell which reduces the number of components used in the seats which helps to reduce the overall weight of the car. There is a digital display instead of the traditional analogue dials found in the instrument binnacle. The gear box can be coaxed from paddles mounted on the steering wheel column.
The car features torsion bar push rod suspension with adjustable ride height. 20 inch wheels come as standard with Michelin pilot cup super sport 2 tires which are unique to the Ford GT. The brakes are carbon ceramic all round.
Deliveries of the Ford GT have already begun with the first customer car rolling off the production line at Ford’s Multimatic facility in Markham, Ontario(U.S.A).
Ford promises that the technology in use in the GT and the technical know how gained will benefit all Ford’s customers in future.
