Ford GT

[nopanic - neil]

I don't know if everyones seen the ford site for this car but it has some great video's. This car should race at Le Mans,  if not at the race, at least at Mad Friday......



To see the rest look at

http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/media_gallery.asp?gallery=CURRENT_VIDEO&bhcp=1

and turn the sound up.

[Fax]

I suspect that at some point we will be seeing one of these beauty's racing in GTS.  Lets hope anyway.  I think it would make a nice foil for the Vette's and Ferrari's.
John

[Steve Pyro]

Definately agree with you on that one John, it would be great to see the Ford GT make an appearance in GTS (or even GT?).

Great video clips too!

[Fax]

In perfect world I would love to see Ford give Roush Racing here in the US a couple of GT's and see what they could do with them in GTS.  Roush has been Ford's quasi-factory arm for a couple of decades now and even though they haven't done much road racing in recent years ( they have been heavily involved in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, their driver Matt Kenseth being defending champ)  I would imagine that Jack Roush would jump at the opportunity to have a go after Ferrari and Chevy (Pratt & Miller are old IMSA and Trans-AM rivals).  Roush Racing was all-conquering in the IMSA GTO and SCCA Trans-Am series in the eighties and early ninties with the likes of Scott Pruett, Bobby Rahal and Klaus Ludwig doing the driving duties.
John

[powermite]

Fax,
Wasnt it the Roush engines that performed so badly in the Panozzzz
PM

[BigH]

Wotcher Fax,
Have you seen any Ford GT's on the road over there yet?
I'm not sure when they start importing over here, although I think demand may be limited as there will be no rhd.  A high profile UK motoring journalist (and eedjit) has gone on record as ordering one for himself to replace his 550, but I think it would need a bit more exposure to get them rolling over in any numbers.
I'd have one tomorrow.
H

[Fax]

To be honest H I haven't seen one out pounding the pavement yet,  just a matter of time I suspect as the summer goes along.  I have seen several of them on display though.  PM, I don't really recall many problems with the Roush prepared lumps.  The biggest Panoz engine fiasco I can remember was with that piece of crap Ztech motor that was plugged into the 2000 LMP07.  The Panoz guys told me that the Ztech engine was so anemic that they were a easy 20 MPH down on the Audi's on the Mulsanne.
John

[Matt Harper]

There were about 10 of them at the Daytona 500 back in Feb - all corporate though. I don't think they are scheduled for delivery to dealers until August. Some of the US press reviews are less than sparkling, it has to be said. The car really needs a big block side-oiler, rather than a hogged-up Mustang engine. Still, a true work of art, which is rather unusual for FoMoCo.

[Rusty]

I'd have one tomorrow.

Make that TODAY!!!
Rusty

[mgmark]

It's probably high on all of our wish lists - dream car reincarnated - who needs a sock - 'nuff said.....

[Paulathedrooler]

Hi, i have read that Ford are over subscirbed on the orders for the gt 40 here in the uk, Ford states that a chosen few will be the lucky owners, those that come to mind will be, Elton John, Mick Jagger and a few more non celebs like Pete townsend, Paul McC and others,i do not believe that the ordinary guy in the street will be considered.

[BigH]

Some of the US press reviews are less than sparkling, it has to be said.

You surprise me there Matt, they've all been pretty rave over here. About the only 'criticism' I read was "maybe it's got too much power"...
I think it's probably aimed at the 360 market, it'll probably be a lot cheaper than the Fast Fiat and hopefully won't have the 'Dimwit Footballer' associations. If it's got a vanity mirror behind the passenger sun visor, then we're all doomed.
It'll be nice to hear that Ford V8 rumble though, there's nothing coming out of the factories doing that right now in these parts, unless you count the TVR of course (there's nothing like the rumble of the TVR V8 as the AA guy winches it on to the back of the flatbed).
H

[Matt Harper]

Hi H,
A couple of the reviews I read surprised me too. One of them included comments from Dan Gurney, who commented that the car was not as visceral as he had hoped it would be. Other purists said that the quad cam small block didn't have the internal organ disrupting capabilities of the 7 litre Mk 1V (no kidding?)
I love it - and having seen one up close, it is glorious. Benchmark pricing for US is $150K, which puts in right in the middle of 996 TT, 360 Modena, Benzo SL55 and Saleen Cobra/Lingenfelter territory. As Paula intimates (very auto industry savvy, for an exotic dancer, I might add) only a few will make it beyond the contigeous 48 in the short term.
Good news is that Ford will probably build thousands of 'em - which is good for longer-term availability - not so good for exclusivity and value retention. If I had 150 large tucked under my matress, I'd want one for what it stands for - but a 996 TT X50 would elbow it out, in terms of overall capability and understated menace.

[Perdu]

Matt,it is Paula's well rounded everything that makes us love her, no?

All that and savvy too, whah!