Starship Supercar Show Feature | Ford GT
And while Ford developed this car’s GT40 forefather with a desire to beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the American carmaker applies a similar ethos to the Ford GT’s supply and demand model. Ownership of a GT is a selective process, with Ford making buyers of this latest generation GT commit to ownership of the vehicle for at least two years to “ensure the passion surrounding the Ford GT is maintained”, before being allowed to sell.
The relative rarity and subsequent demand in the market has seen values skyrocket. If you can get your hands on one, a well-looked after example that sells for approximately $700,000 new, could very easily appreciate by a further million dollars within that two-year timeframe. It is a beautifully updated homage to the original GT40 too; an attractive investment measured in more than mere dollars and cents.
The GT boasts a very technical design. Just when you think you have absorbed all there is, you discover a new element you haven’t seen before. There is simply no unflattering angle from which to view it.
The shape is defined by an aggressively tapered central tub and negative space created by the bridged roofline as it meets the rear haunches. The muscular rear view compliments the shape with huge high-mounted exhaust pipes and minimalist taillights, a wonderful symphony of aggression and beauty.
Inside is snug and orientated to driver ergonomics, blending heritage-inspired manual dials and switches with plenty of creature comforts including a touch screen navigation and infotainment system, and a comprehensive array of controls on the racing inspired suede steering wheel. This is very much a supercar that can be driven on the road daily.
Technically, it is a deeply impressive package, with a carbon-fibre chassis and a smaller capacity 3.5-litre V6 twin turbo-charged EcoBoost engine over the traditional V8. Remarkably, the engine develops 482kW (647hp) and 746Nm of torque, powering the supercar to a three-second 0-100km/h time.
Equally impressive is the efficiency and reliability baked into that EcoBoost engine. Like the GT40 that started it all, this generation GT was designed to take on Ferrari at Le Mans, where dependability and fuel economy remain critical.
In 2016, fifty years after Ford’s 1-2-3 victory with Kiwi’s Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon and Denny Hulme integral to that success, the GT dominated yet another Le Man’s taking first, third and fourth in the GTE Pro category (Ferrari claimed second place). Kiwi legend Scott Dixon helped Ford relive that Le Mans glory as well as many more podiums for the blue oval’s most iconic supercar at endurance GTE races around the globe in subsequent years.
No matter what lens you place over Ford’s GT – solid investment or thing of beauty – it is unquestionably an appreciable supercar that commands your attention whenever you lay eyes on it.