November, 2004, Cruise News

STORY LINE:   FORD GT 

Henry Ford lost a chance at building a successful Ford car … a number of times. Henry Ford gambled as typically all entrepreneurs do to gain success and; won fame, fortune, a place in the automotive world and became the man who headed the company that literally put the world on wheels … in a race car called “Sweepstakes.” Henry Ford won the first and only race he ever drove on October 10, 1901-10 laps of a one-mile horse track in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

In the 1960’s Ford Motor Company followed a doctrine of race on Sunday-sell on Monday and  held the company wide motto of Total Performance and were known as the Lively Ones. Henry Ford himself pressed for performance levels from within and Ford won on the highbanks in North America and, stretched the company’s performance hold across the Atlantic and into Europe. Henry Ford wanted to own Ferrari … history holds the story that Enzo balked at the sale of his namesake at the last minute … and Hank the Duece had his boys part the heavens and create the GT40 to challenge the Ferrari for road racing supremacy. The rest is history as Ford GT40 cars-after a few years of trial and error and building more power-beat the galloping horse emblemed cars of Enzo Ferrari in his own backyard of LeMans in 1966, crossing the finish line 1-2-3 at the Twenty-Four Hours of LeMans.

In the late 1990’s Ford Motor Company introduced the GT90 with a 12 cylinder-V engine and triangulated design body configuration. I was at the Rotunda Design Center where A.J.Foyt drove the GT90 onto the stage amidst great fanfare, surrounded by the GT40 of some 30-years previous. But was this to be the new GT? Not to be.

Talk of a new GT rumbled through Detroit and the design concept car was shown at the 2002 NAIAS in Detroit. Designed by Camillo Pardo, the new GT was a hit and more than just a rumor to be actual production with approval issued for build in spring of 2002, and the first production-level cars unveiled at Ford’s centennial celebration in June of 2003.

Today, the new Ford GT is a true Supercar that lives … powered by a Romeo build modular 5.4 liter DOHC supercharged-V8, the Ford GT is capable of 0-60 mph acceleration in just over 3 seconds, covers the ¼ mile in 11.6 seconds at 128 mph and has a terminal velocity limited to about 204. Read… limited to. Validation tests have proven 210+ to be easy.

The Ford GT  is built around an exceptionally but lightweight aluminum space frame with a double wishbone design suspension and coil-over monotube dampers. Aluminum is also used for the outer body panels. Other lightweight materials, including carbon fiber and magnesium, are used throughout the new GT. Brakes are equally sophisticated featuring four-piston Brembo calipers that grip massive 14-inch front/13.2-inch rear cross drilled and vented rotors.

Late last year-October 2003-Ford SVT ‘BOSS’ and GT Chief engineer John Coletti, brought prototype #8 GT to a Wednesday evening Mt. Clemens cruise night where I got my first ride in the new Supercar … and earlier this year at a Bearing Burners Saturday car show/cruise night, Mr. Coletti agreed to again bring a GT to the show where we did a live interview and drive. That car was prototype #15, the test validation GT.

The photos included in this column are of the GRAND OPENING at the GT  engineering building held during the WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE week, where Steve Saleen, Rich Rinke and   John Coletti treated a few hundred car dignitaries and ground pilots to a very interesting evening of GT wallowing. Says Mr. Coletti, “The 2005 Ford GT is the result of a dream that has existed within Ford Motor Company since the day the GT40 program ended more than 30 years ago”.

And what does the GT feel like.  I have driven some of the fastest cars in the world, been on Bonneville, raced a blown alcohol drag boat, flown an F16 … and will soon road test the fastest American production vehicle …the Ford GT.

How did the GT40 and GT90 get their names? GT for the class and type of racing; Grand Touring and, 40 for it’s overall height of 40-inches. The GT90 was … built in the 90’s, hence

GT … 90.