LuxuryCarMagazine En Luxury Car Review and News
So, you’re Ford, and you’re aspiring to build a new supercar, reviving a classic automotive nameplate in the process. You hit the auto show circuit, hoping to garner interest as this is a segment that’s actually more competitive today than it’s ever been. Then, April hits, and the auto show circuit ends. What do you do?
Well, you go racing of course! Or, at least you announce that you intend to go racing.
That’s exactly what Ford’s doing, as the Blue Oval announced today that not only would they be returning to the famed Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France next year (this year’s race takes place this weekend), but that they’d be entering both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, operated by Chip Ganassi Racing.
It stands to reason; after all, the upcoming Ford GT is the descendant of the Ford GT40 race cars that were developed specifically to beat Ferrari on the track in the 1960s, an effort that resulted in a 1-2-3 finish in 1966, with all three cars crossing the line almost in unison. The 2016 race, then, marks the 50th anniversary of that event.
While Ford hasn’t announced power figures for the model, expect them to be impressive (like, 600 horsepower impressive) but that’s not the full story.
Ford cites Le Mans—a 24-hour race—as being referred to “the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency” to show that while power is important, the GT’s 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine, strong focus on aerodynamics and the use of lightweight materials for the body are the keys to success. If you don’t have to stop in the pits to refuel as much as the other guy (it will be up against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911 GT3R), well, that’s a huge advantage.
The decision to go racing wasn’t made overnight, either. “As we developed the Ford GT,” said Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company Group Vice President, “we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT Racing.”
No drivers have yet been announced, but a vast array of development partners—Michelin, Canada’s Multimatic, Castrol, Brembo and Sparco to name a few—should result in one mean racing machine.
I mean, just look at it! That underbody diffuser, those tailpipes, that rear wing; an impressive machine, no doubt. Now, if they could just paint it in that oh-so-famous Gulf livery from the ‘60s…
