The New Ford GT
Ford Are Celebrating the Ford GT's 50th Anniversary, Which Is Due In 2016, With A Brand New Version Of Their Iconic Super-Car.
January 14, 2015
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Ford’s GT40 supercar winning Le Mans for the first time. To celebrate this landmark, Ford have unveiled a brand new GT: a stunning carbon fibre supercar that has seen experts purring in anticipation.
The GT has become one of the world’s iconic performance cars since its win almost fifty years ago and the brand new GT will head a range of twelve performance cars Ford is rolling out over the next few years. Keep reading to learn more.
In the early 1960s, Henry Ford II received word that Enzo Ferrari was interested in selling his iconic motor business to Ford.
Ford reportedly spent several million dollars on the deal only to have Ferrari cut off talks at a late stage. Ferrari was reportedly angered when he was told that he would not be allowed to race at the Indianapolis 500 if the deal went through since Ford fielded Indy cars using the company\'s engine.
Henry Ford II was enraged by Ferrari’s withdrawal and instructed his racing division to find a company that could build a car that would beat the Ferrari at Le Mans. They teamed up with the Lola group and, after development, unveiled the first GT40 in April 1964.
After two years of racing experience the car scored a memorable 1-2-3 at the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1966 – beating the Ferrari cars. The GT then won the next three events in 1967, 1968 and 1969.
Ford unveiled the new GT at the North American International Auto Show and confirmed that it would be available in 2016: the 50th anniversary of the first Le Mans win for the original GT40.
The new GT is made almost entirely from carbon fibre and lightweight aluminium to keep mass to a minimum and to boost performance, handling and economy. Instead of its predecessor’s V8 engine the new GT will boast a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine with \'in excess of\' 592bhp. This will be mated with a seven speed dual transmission.
Mark Fields, Ford CEO and President, said: "It\'s a showcase for all our latest technology, including EcoBoost performance and aerodynamics. We\'ve been working on it for a little over a year."
Experts and petrolheads alike were impressed with the new Ford GT. Top Gear said that the new GT ‘looks brilliant’ while Auto Express called it ‘stunning’.
Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, who owns a GT, took to Twitter to praise the new supercar.
Well done @Ford New Ford GT looks incredible. https://t.co/cyCN3Z53pC Need to order 1 so my other has a mate. pic.twitter.com/GEQO60bdg0
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) January 12, 2015
Well done @Ford New Ford GT looks incredible. https://t.co/cyCN3Z53pC Need to order 1 so my other has a mate. pic.twitter.com/GEQO60bdg0
The new GT is expected to be seen on the roads in 2016 and prices have yet to be confirmed. It may be more difficult to get your hands on one, however, with a Ford spokesman confirming that it will be “significantly more exclusive" than its predecessor that sold a little over 4,000 units between 2004 and 2006.
