A beautiful supercar with more horsepower than some Ferraris, looks that could kill and a Le Mans-winning heritage? It’s no wonder one of the biggest stars of the 2015 Detroit motor show is the new Ford GT.
But what exactly makes the third-generation Ford GT such a beast? A lot of things, actually. Get your brain around the following.
It has the engine of a Ford Focus
What does the Ford GT and Focus have in common? An EcoBoost engine, that’s what. Fortunately the Ford GT skips the 1.0-litre turbo in favour of a mid-mounted 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 that churns out more than 600hp, which it puts to the road via a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. No manual here for you to fluff the gears.
Speed is high on the agenda
Both the original Ford GT and its GT40 successor (named so because it was 40-inches tall) were incredibly fast, a trait that helped the former batter Ferrari at Le Mans. So no one is going to question the alleged 200mph+ top speed and 0 to 62mph time of around three seconds.
No expense is spared
A carbon fibre tub means no expense has been spared in making the Ford GT lightweight. Carbon ceramic brakes bring it to a halt in lightning fashion. 20-inch Michelin Pilot Super Cup 2 tyres with a unique compound and structure stick it to the tarmac. Even the steering wheel, which is stalkless, is inspired by an F1 car.
It borrows from aircraft design
Ford says the tear-drop shape of the new GT was inspired by the fuselage of an aircraft, helping minimise drag and optimise downforce. In addition, a retractable spoiler keeps the thing from flying off into space when you put your foot down.
It could race at Le Mans
Ford set out to destroy Ferrari at the 24-hour Le Mans race in the 60s and it did exactly that, immortalising the GT40 in the process. Now there is talk the new Ford GT could end up back at the legendary race. When approached by Motor Authority, Ford Racing boss Jamie Allison failed to deny the rumour.
Production begins in 2016
The price is expected to be more Lamborghini than Audi, so expect to dig deep for the chance to own one. Assuming, of course, you can even get on the list. Ford is expected to only make the Ford GT in the hundreds, not thousands, when production starts in 2016.
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