Ford, a mass producer of cars, has just built a Ferrari rival. And what sounds like a recipe for disaster is in fact an impressive effort.Rebuffed in his 1960s bid to buy Ferrari, Henry Ford II vowed to beat Enzo Ferrari's blood-red race cars at Le Mans with a car called the GT40, and did
so. Repeatedly. The car notched up four straight wins in the Le Mans 24-hour race from 1966 to 1969.The new version of the GT40 made its first public appearance as a concept at the 2002 Detroit Motor Show, a visual carbon copy of the Le Mans GT40s.Public response to the 2002 concept car was so enthusiastic that the current boss, William Clay (Bill) Ford jnr suggested adapting the concept to production. Such suggestions have the weight of an imperial decree and, before you could say supercar, the development team had started work.Ford sold a few road-going versions of the old GT40 race cars, but that was a different era with far simpler rules and regulations. Today's GT, in contrast, is a contemporary vehicle that meets current crash standards and emissions regulations, not to mention mundane requirements such as
comfort and everyday driveability. The GT40 was fabricated, in the manner of racing cars of its day, with a central monocoque chassis of riveted and welded sheet steel. Much of the chassis rigidity was due to the two wide torque boxes used both as door sills and fuel tanks. All GT40s had right-hand drive and a right-hand gearshift lever, which made entry and exit for the driver a bit tricky. As did the wide sills. They were race cars, so creature comforts - and space - were minimal. Yes, there were a few made for the street, and a number of replicas of varying degrees of fidelity to the originals, but none of those were much better in the accouterment department, either.This GT was the development car, which had been clocked at 207 mph in testing, almost exactly the same top speed as the GT40 MkII in LeMans trim. Journalists were
not allowed to drive as it was privately-owned - by Steve Saleen. How'd he get the development car? Perk of the job - among his other interests, he is in charge of GT construction. And, hey, if it was my car I'd be more than a little hesitant about letting journalists drive it, too.Braking is handled by six-piston aluminum Alcon calipers with cross-drilled and vented rotors at all four corners. When the rear canopy is opened, the rear suspension components and engine become the car’s focal point. Precision-milled aluminum suspension components and attached 19-inch Goodyear tires – combined with the overwhelming presence of the V-8 powertrain – create a striking
appearance and communicate the GT40 concept’s performance credentials. The GT40 concept was created to foretell and test the future of exciting Ford cars to come. As with other Living Legends concepts – including the 1999 Thunderbird concept and Forty-Nine concept – the GT40 was engineered from the beginning for production feasibility. Ford’s SVT Engineering – which also created performance versions of the Focus, Mustang Cobra and F-Series Lightning – developed the chassis and powertrain. SVT Engineering worked closely with Living Legends designers to ensure the concept would live up to its performance heritage.Specification:
Price [$US] : $139,995
Layout : mid-engine / rear wheel drive
Curb Weight [lb (kg)] : 3485 (1580)
Weight Distribution [%f / r] : 43 / 57
Steering : Rack & Pinion; power-assisted
Engine Type : Supercharged V8; aluminum block and heads
Valvetrain : DOHC 4-valve / cyl.
Displacement [cc] : 5409
Bore & Stroke [mm] : 90.2 x 105.8
Compression Ratio : 8.4:1
Redline [rpm] : 6500
Max. Power [Bhp at rpm] : 550 at 6500
Max. Torque [lb-ft (Nm) at rpm] : 500 (678) at 3750
Bhp/Liter : 101.7
0 - 60 mph [secs] : 3.3
Top Speed [mph] : 200
