Car: Ford GT
Year: 2005
What makes it special: The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car manufactured and marketed by for model year 2005 in conjunction with the company’s 2003 centenary, and again in redesigned form for model year 2017. The GT recalls Ford’s famed GT-40, consecutive 4-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966-1969, including a 1-2-3 finish in 1966.
What made it famous: The GT is similar in outward appearance to the original Ford GT40 cars, but bigger, wider, and most importantly 3 in taller than the original 40 in. The Ford GT features many new and unique technologies, including superplastic-formed frame, aluminum body panels, roll-bonded floor panels, a friction stir welded center tunnel, covered by a magnesium center console, a “ship-in-a-bottle” gas tank, a capless fuel filler system, one-piece door panels, and an aluminum engine cover with a one-piece carbon fiber inner panel. The mid-mounted 5.4 L Modular V8 engine is all-aluminum with a Lysholm twin screw-type supercharger. It features a forged rotating assembly housed in an aluminum block designed specifically for the GT program. A dry sump oiling system is employed, allowing the engine to sit low in the car’s frame. The DOHC 4-valve heads are a revision of the 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R cylinder heads with slightly increased wall casting thickness in the exhaust port. The camshafts have unique specifications, with more lift and duration than those found in the Shelby GT500. Power output is 550 hp at 6500 rpm and generates 500 lb⋅ft of torque at 3750 rpm. A Ricardo 6-speed manual transmission is fitted featuring a helical limited-slip differential. Car and Driver tested the GT in January 2004 and recorded a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds, with a 5-60 time of 3.7 seconds.
Why I would want one: It’s no shock that anyone into cars would absolutely welcome the opportunity to possess a GT.
Fun fact: This generation of the Ford GT has established multiple performance and speed records since its introduction, currently holding the title of fastest car in the world, in the standing mile it with a top speed of 293.6 mph.
