The all-new 440kW GT, the Ford GT successor, has been revealed overnight at the Detroit Motor Show and will go into production in 2016, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ford GT40’s 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 hours of Le Mans.
OVERNIGHT FORD whipped the hanky off its Ford GT successor, the all-new GT, “an ultra-high-performance supercar that serves as a technology showcase for top EcoBoost performance, aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fibre construction,” or so the press statement goes.
The GT supercar gets rear-wheel drive, a mid-mounted (next-generation) 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 that makes more than 440kW, all wrapped up in a two-door bodyshell that marries liberal use of carbon-fibre (structural body panels) with aluminium (front and rear subframes) to ensure the GT is as rapid as it looks. The gearbox is a seven-speed dual-cutch transaxle.
The engine, says Ford, is based on the “engine architecture” used in Ford’s IMSA Daytona Prototype endurance racing efforts and features an all-new, port/direct dual fuel-injection setup to improve engine response, plus a low-friction roller-finger-follower valvetrain.
Underneath the GT is an “active racing-style” torsion bar and pushrod suspension, with adjustable ride height. The 20in wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tyres which have been designed specifically for the Ford GT. Multi-spoke wheels encircle carbon-ceramic brake discs at all four corners.
Inside, the GT offers fixed seating with adjustable pedals and steering column, while the F1-style steering wheel incorporates all the major driver controls, meaning you get a stalkless steering column. Ford says a fully digital and configurable instrument cluster provides a “wealth of driver-focused data”.
The GT also gets an active, deployable rear spoiler and other tid bits that Ford says will be spread out to other performance oriented models in its portfolio. “The GT is the ultimate execution of an enthusiast supercar,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “GT includes innovations and technologies that can be applied broadly across Ford’s future product portfolio.”
“While we hope enthusiasts rejoice about this all-new GT, all Ford customers will benefit from the ultimate performance Ford and its new-generation innovations,” said Nair.
The all-new GT goes into production late next year and will go on-sale in “select global markets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Ford says.
“As we at Ford drive innovation into every part of our business, it’s worth remembering that our first innovation as a company was not in a laboratory, but on the racetrack,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and chief executive officer, referring to Henry Ford’s win of a 1901 car race that inspired financial backers to invest in his company.
“We are passionate about innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound.”
