The Ford GT40 Returns

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    While the Italians brands of Ferrari and Lamborghini as well as the German brand of Porsche are more commonly associated with supercar legends, American automakers have also, in the past, produced some legendary high-performance models. And among those models is the Ford GT40 — the legendary car brought to life by Henry Ford II to change performance car history. It was a sportscar that roared into the hearts of enthusiasts around the world in the 1960s, before concerns of air pollution and fuel economy forced the Big Three to stop making the `big-block gas guzzlers’.

    Fast forward to 2002 and performance is no longer a `dirty word’. With many advances in automotive technology, it is now possible to achieve very high performance and still have clean combustion. Of course, all that power still needs a fair amount of fuel and there’s no escaping from the penalty.

    Nevertheless, Ford has decided to bring back to life the GT40 as a modern road car that re-ignites Ford’s hallmarks of passion, performance and speed. The new GT40 joins the company’s “Living Legends” line-up of production and concept cars that include the Ford Thunderbird and Mustang.

    “The GT40 is the ultimate Living Legend,” declares J. Mays, Ford vice-president of Design. “It’s a true supercar with appeal equal to that of the greatest sportscars in the world, but with the addition of a heritage no one can match. Essential elements of the original — including the stunning low profile and mid-mounted American V8 — continue in this latest interpretation of the classic.”

    While the new concept and the original both share the mystique of the GT40 name, they share not a single dimension. The concept is more than 220 mm longer and stands nearly 100 mm taller. Its new lines draw upon and refine the best features of GT40 history as well as express the car’s identity through modern proportion and surface development.

    Design
    The GT40 concept casts the familiar, sleek silhouette of its namesake, yet every dimension, every curve and every line on the is a unique reinterpretation of the original. It has a long front overhang reminiscent of 1960s-era racing cars but the sweeping cowl, subtle accent lines and fibre-optic headlamps clearly strike a distinctly contemporary pose.

    The front fenders curve over 18-inch wheels and Goodyear white-lettered tyres. In the tradition of championship racers, the doors cut into the roof. Prominent on the leading edge of the rear quarter panel are functional cooling scoops that channel fresh air to the engine.

    The rear wheel wells, filled with 19-inch Goodyear tyres, define the rear of the car, while the accent line from the front cowl rejoins and finishes the car’s profile at the integrated “ducktail” spoiler.

    The interior design incorporates the novel “ventilated seats” and instrument layout of the original car, with conventional analogue gauges and a large tachometer. Modern versions of the original car’s toggle switches operate key systems.

    “Like its namesake, the GT40 concept is not over-wrought with advanced technologies,” says Mays. “While it represents the best of Ford design, engineering and expertise, it is a no-frills machine. You won’t find voice-activated telematics here — not even power windows — just pure, refined performance.”

    Looking in through the rear screen, one finds the essence of the sportscar in the V8 engine and its complex array of polished stainless-steel header pipes, braided stainless steel fuel lines with anodized aluminium fittings and supercharger with an intercooler.

    “The GT40 concept should do three things: go fast, handle exceptionally and look great,” says Chris Theodore, Ford’s vice president of North America Product Development. “To be true to its Ford heritage, we had to create a supercar that would be uniquely a Ford. Anyone can do technology showpieces, high-displacement engines and modernistic designs, but there’s much more to a GT40. There’s heritage and heart. We think this car remains true to the spirit of its predecessors.”

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