After two years of auto show displays, heavy marketing and of deciding ownership via electronic online lottery, the Ford GT and the true extent of its road and track capabilities are official.
And the good news for anyone that has taken the gamble and ordered one before the embargo on reviews was lifted on Friday, is that it is faster around the track than any V8-powered car on sale anywhere in the world. Ford used the best McLaren and Ferrari have to offer for benchmarks and didn't stop testing until the GT was better even with a two-cylinder deficit on its closest rivals.
The GT's 647hp, 746Nm of torque and 0-100km/h time of 2.8 seconds come courtesy of a V6 Eco-boost engine, almost identical to the one the company uses in the Raptor pickup. But almost everything else about the car, from its patent pending active aerodynamics to pushrod-actuated suspension, are the result of blue-sky thinking.
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If you failed to get on the waiting list to take delivery of one of the 100 planned examples, or even if carbon-fiber supercars aren't really your automotive ‘thing', everyone will soon get a tiny taste of this Le Mans-winning racing car in street-legal clothing as the innovations it represents are set to trickle down through the entire Ford range.
"When we began work on the all-new Ford GT in 2013, the team had three goals," said Ford CTO and VP of product development, Raj Nair. "The first was to use it as a training ground for our engineers as we develop future engine technology and stretch our understanding of aerodynamics. Then, to push the boundaries of advanced material usage, such as lightweight carbon fiber. Finally, we set out to win the Le Mans 24 Hours, referred to by many as the ultimate test of endurance and efficiency."
The car has already achieved the third goal, and now Ford will start applying the car's engine technology to more vehicles.
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"We pushed the engine's limits beyond what we might consider in traditional development programs, which is important as we continue to advance EcoBoost technology as a centerpiece of the company's global line-up," said powertrain engineering VP, Bob Fascetti.
Ford is also planning to bring lessons learned from carbon fiber and composite construction to its more affordable sports models in the coming years, but the ‘drive mode' system, that changes the GT from a road to a track car will be coming to the next-generation Fiesta ST, starting in 2018.
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