Ford GT -- Track Time In a True American Super Car
Ever since Ford introduced its stunning GT40 race car in the mid
1960s, it's been one of the world's most coveted performance
cars. For decades, people have been attempting replicas of
wildly varying credibility. And today, real GT40s sell for
anywhere from about $300,000 for a typical example, to the
$2.5-million recently paid for a GT40 prototype.
Given that, it's not surprising that Ford jumped back into the
mid-engine super car game, offering its GT40 successor, the GT,
for 2005. This new version is by far the wildest, fastest
mass-production car ever offered by Ford.
So what's it like to drive? Let's find out.
Avoiding the door's skull-creasing curved top, dropping into the
GT's waist-high cabin is straightforward and easy enough. The
seats have a pleasing form-fitting rounded shape, with a
comfortably appropriate rake to the back. Head- and leg-room is
surprisingly good for such a lowslung machine -- even six
footers or maybe taller will find it quite livable. In front of
the driver sprawls a visual feast of purposeful black
upholstery, chrome, and brushed aluminum, punctuated by switches
designed to look like the starkly functional toggle switches of
the original GT40.
It's all gorgeous. The car is entertaining before you even fire
it up.
And that visual feast isn't limited to the cockpit. The GT's
gloriously polished 550-hp supercharged V8 is plainly visible
through the rear window, sitting what seems like two inches from
the driver's head. Pushing the big red Start button just above
the center console prompts the engine into life, playing a
symphony that sounds like a mix of basic Ford high-performance
V8 and Italian super car, embellished with the prominent whine
of the supercharger.
Surprisingly for such an exotic machine, the GT's clutch-pedal
weighting feels like that of a Mustang, maybe even a bit
lighter. With no special technique required, the car gets
rolling from a stop without so much as a shudder. At this point
it begins to set in that this all-out super car is remarkably
user friendly -- a sweetheart.
That said, day-to-day driving in the GT wouldn't be like
commuting in a Honda Civic. Negotiating a parking lot requires
drivers to constantly stretch and crane their neck to see past
the thick window pillars and swooping fenders. And directly
behind the car? Forget it. If it doesn't show up in the sideview
mirrors, it doesn't exist to the Ford GT driver.
But would anyone driving this thrill machine really care about
such mundane quibbles? Doubtful.
Getting ready to launch onto the front straight of famed race
track Road America, I ease the clutch out at a modest 2500 rpm
or so, then gently roll into the throttle. Since I'd never
driven this car, I took it easy. Or at least I thought I was
taking it easy.
Nope. Despite those good intentions, I practically boil the rear
tires into sticky goo. Faced with 500 lb-ft of torque at just
3750 rpm, the GT's rubber succumbs with frightening ease -- the
burnout happened with such an uncanny effortlessness that it
seemed like a video game. As we regain traction, we quickly blur
to a brisk pace and reach the first turn at a pleasing clip.
>From there we head downhill to turn three/four, then get on the
gas for what the GT has been begging for -- the long, open
Moraine Sweep. The acceleration is intoxicating. With a feverish
whine and a deep roar, the car is handily propelled to 130 mph.
It's easily good for plenty more too.
At the end of the straight, the big brakes haul us down with
reassuring authority, aided by easy pedal modulation. A quick
flick of my right foot proves heel-and-toe downshifts to be
delightfully simple in the GT. Then we're back on the gas. The
GT flies through the turn with terrific grip and practically no
body lean.
After that comes a short uphill straight, another tight turn,
then another. The GT's steering is weighted a bit lighter than
one might expect for a serious performance car, but it's nice.
Most importantly, it communicates well. That's not surprising --
pretty much everything about the GT inspires confidence. Just
minutes after getting into the car, you feel ready to go fast.
It's easy to drive by any standards, much less by super car
expectations.
But lapsing my attention to ponder that notion, the car's back
end steps way out at about 70 mph. Yikes! Fortunately, we
weren't at the point of no return and I recovered quickly with a
flick of the steering wheel. Nonetheless, the suddenness of the
tail swing serves as an important reminder that this is a
serious, hardcore machine, no matter how friendly its overall
demeanor.
As we haul through another long open stretch and round the tight
Canada Corner, we're near the end of our designated lap. Another
few turns follow and we slow to bring the GT back into the pits.
After I shut the car down, my big giddy grin remains. As a
journalist, I'm as jaded as anybody. But it's hard not to gush
about the GT. My day is made.
I've just encountered true greatness, and I know it.
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