Today Ford unveiled the all new GT supercar at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. News of this beast of a car flooded news outlets and social media, as questions poured in from the media. How much will it cost? Where will it race? etc, etc…
While the Ford executives wouldn’t give numbers, they were quick to point out that it’s competitive set would be reasonably indicative of its eventual price. Considering the competitive set includes the Lamborghini Huracan ($240k), the Ferrari 458 Speciale ($300k), and the slightly “cheaper” Porsche 911 GT3 ($131k), we can assume the final price tag will be in the $200,000 to $250,000 range. Ford’s previous supercar (the 2005/6) GT came in at $150,000 back in 2005. If the price tag makes to big of a leap, Ford may find itself not selling the full production run (just like the 2005 version). Ford has kept the number of vehicles it plans to produce just as quiet as the price tag.
The beautifully styled aerodynamics of the car’s carbon fiber body is evident in its tear-drop shape, its aircraft inspired fuselage, and visibility enhancing curved windshield. Every visible piece of the car is shaped to minimize drag and increase downforce. According to Ford “Although each surface on the GT is functionally crafted to manage airflow, it also features fully active aerodynamic components to improve braking, handling and stability. An active rear spoiler is keyed to both speed and driver input, reactively deploying and adjusting its height and/or pitch angle depending on conditions.”
With Dow Chemical providing a more affordable carbon fiber option, the future should bring the light weight material into vehicles across Ford’s entire line up. In the GT, Ford highlights the power to weight ratio as the best of any currently produced vehicle. With a fixed driver’s seat, the steering wheel and pedals adjust to fit the driver. The steering column is “stalkless”, allow free movement between the driver’s hands and the paddle shifters. The completely digital dash can be configured with multiple driving modes.
And the racing??? According to AutoWeek – “As for the GT racing effort, the two-car assault will be campaigned by full-time Tudor Series, IndyCar and NASCAR entrant Chip Ganassi Racing. Ganassi is presently Ford’s lone Prototype-class representative in United SportsCar, where it campaigns a Riley-Ford EcoBoost Daytona Prototype.
Ford and Ganassi’s program will be led by veteran Californian driver Scott Pruett, who with Ganassi has claimed five championships in Grand-Am’s Daytona Prototype class, and five wins in the Rolex 24 (four of those with Ganassi). He also won the GTS-class at Le Mans in 2001, driving a Chevrolet Corvette with Johnny O’Connell and Ron Fellows. Ganassi in December confirmed it signed Californian Joey Hand to partner Pruett. The acquisition of the now ex-BMW factory driver means Ford will have at its disposal a top-notch, all-American lineup in at least one car when it attempts to win the GTLM class at Le Mans.”
The Tudor Series makes sense, as the GT is sporting more than 600 horsepower in its 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost engine (and the Tudor Series allows up to 4.0L in turbo charged engines).
While it’s only the first day of the 2015 North American International Auto Show, this supercar is going to be hard to top!