Tuesday 9th December 2014

Ford GT: Spotted

The bonafide supercar with a Ford badge. Now to make the case against a Ferrari...

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With so much discussion recently on supercars becoming too easy, too accommodating and just generally a bit soft, it's amazing that the Ford GT hasn't come up in discussion more.

Traction control? Right foot

It's a mid-engined, manual, 200mph V8 supercar without traction control. Come on! Yet when was the last time anyone considered a GT as a lottery win car? The praise was universal when the car was launched and yet I would wager it doesn't get discussed as regularly as contemporaries like the first Lamborghini Gallardo (and Murcielago for that matter), Pagani Zonda and whichever mid-engined Ferrari you care to mention. That's odd.

There are points that will inevitably count against it in supercar showing-off competition. The engine that's similar to one used in a pick-up for a start. And that badge, of course. But for thrills, speed and outright excitement the GT is, by all accounts, right up there with the best of them. It's even got silly doors, which every supercar absolutely must have

Does the whole Clarkson ownership saga put people off over here? It must be a factor, surely. Left-hand drive probably counts against it as well, particularly with something so wide. However, left-hand drive is arguably less of a problem if you do want a GT because, well, they're all like that sir. There were only 101 cars for Europe but there are thousands in the US, which is where this car is from. As a 2006 car imported in 2008 with 14,000 miles you would assume most of the miles have been covered over here.

LHD only in case it's not intimidating enough

That simple engine does have quite a few benefits as well. It doesn't have to be serviced every time the month has more than 28 days for a start; every year or five thousand miles according to Mountune. And it's very tuneable too if 550hp isn't enough. This car is at 620hp already with a Roush supercharger pulley and it can go further if required. The noise as standard certainly doesn't sound like any commercial vehicle we are familiar with.

Despite the amount of GTs in America, numbers in the UK are still very small. HowManyLeft has 55 registered in Britain so a few certainly have been imported from the US to bolster the 28 originally allocated. What do you compare it to at just under £200K? It's rarer than the cars it was priced against originally but not quite in the Porsche Carrera GT league of hypercar royalty. But you would have one over a Mercedes SLR McLaren, surely?

It will interesting to see where GT values go in the immediate future, if its old-school simplicity sees a rise or if the badge and drivetrain render it not exotic enough to some. There are rumours of another comeback to mark 50 years since the GT40 first won at Le Mans so let's see if that develops. Ford v. Ferrari once more? Let's go!

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FORD GT
Engine: 5,409cc V8, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 550@6,500rpm (standard)
Torque (lb ft): 500@3,750rpm
MPG: 19 (EPA combined figure of 16 in UK gallons)
CO2: Many
First registered: 2008 in the UK, 2006 in US
Recorded mileage: 13,900
Price new: £120,000
Yours for: £189,000

See the original advert here.

[Source: HowManyLeft]

[andrew]

that car looks well dodgy to me

[Gorbyrev]

One of the very few that has never lost value which does make it seem pricey next to its competitors. 80-90 mile range is also a restriction but it is one gorgeous machine which by all accounts is worth every penny.

[otta]

Gorbyrev said:

One of the very few that has never lost value which does make it seem pricey next to its competitors. 80-90 mile range is also a restriction but it is one gorgeous machine which by all accounts is worth every penny.

80-90 mile range? with a hole in the tank maybe?

[RobinBanks]

Gorbyrev said:

One of the very few that has never lost value which does make it seem pricey next to its competitors. 80-90 mile range is also a restriction but it is one gorgeous machine which by all accounts is worth every penny.

That stupid fuel consumption figure quoted on Top Gear was from track use, as I remember. Expect several times that in normal use.

[otta]

RobinBanks said:

That stupid fuel consumption figure quoted on Top Gear was from track use, as I remember. Expect several times that in normal use.

Yes, can assure you it is not frugal but definitely nothing like the above

[Raman Kandola]

Need more cars like this, less electronics, back to basics motoring which makes so much more of a drivers car

[jamieduff1981]

Happy to report that it's always been near the top of my list.

The whole Clarkson car alarm thing doesn't put me off. That can and did happen to a Ford Ka. The Ford GT is a timeless beauty, and it goes as well as it looks. Even the badge is fine. Ford do have a good pedigree, even if they hide it well with the cars they sell in Europe.

[X5TUU]

I think part of the problem is that it is a lottery winner car where money and depreciation are truly no object (not saying the latter will occur mind) ... whereas the normal buyer of said Lambo/Fezza/Zonda/SLR always has an eye on the cost (generally speaking) and to be fair are badge snobs to a certain degree too.

the Clarkson effect can also be quite great as well as no one would want to be associated or have him come to mind when speaking to others about what would/could be a 'prized/cherished' possession, since he is a first rate tool

[z06tim]

Nice article, although your MPG figures look a bit misleading to me. They are more accurate here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_GT

I would say these are only going to continue to appreciate. How i wish I had a spare $150k when I worked in Detroit back in the mid 2000's.

I reckon they are helped a lot by their low volumes of about 2000/yr for two years. Quite a lot less than the total numbers produced of one of its benchmarks during its design (Ferrari 360).

[soad]

I'm salivating.

[theJT]

I think the thing that would stop me - if I had that sort of money - would be the existence of the many really very good replica '60s era GT40's that I could have in right hand drive.

I just don't hold with the "If it's not the way it came out of the factory it's _wrong_" line of thinking. If I could afford a proper classic yank muscle car - and god, I really, really want one - I'd have to be able to afford the RHD conversion too. (And having the suspension and brakes uprated, and the engine overhauled, and the interior re-upholstered, and a proper stereo fitted... )

There's certainly something to be said for leaving classics as they are, but if I'm actually going to _drive_ the thing instead of just sticking it in a garage and admiring it, why not make the most of the last 50 years worth of advancement?

[Tuvra]

Love these, would hate to pick a colour though, I love them all

Matte black looks "interesting"

[British Beef]

At £120k new it was expensive, at £190k it is a joke, when you can get a near identically powered Mustang for say £30-£40k.

A Viper ACR or fothcoming Z06, offer similar American racing heritage for significantly less outlay.

Why does Jeremy Clarksons car ownership history have any significance on the value of a car, given that he has owned all prestige marques a bit of a daft comment.

[J4CKO]

Raman Kandola said:

Need more cars like this, less electronics, back to basics motoring which makes so much more of a drivers car

Or, you can have the electronics for when its raining, cold and you are doing a long journey, and have a button to switch them off.

To be honest, 550 bhp middle engined missile without any safety net could end badly for a lot of people, or you drive round treating it a bit like that odd bloke from Friday Night Dinner reacts to his Alsation.

[cib24]

If there was one supercar that I could have right now it would be this. I sat in one at the LA Auto show when they were first being announced and I have desired one ever since. Too bad they will only go up in price and end up further and further out of reach as the years go by.

[The Pits]

£189k for a 13k miles car sounds quite a lot to me.

They were sitting around £120-135k for years so the values must have been dragged up by the current classic car boom.

A 5k miles car must be well over £200k now.

The GTs remain one of my favourite supercars, they are fantastic to drive. Intergalactic gearing means that you can put all the power down in 2nd gear without any wheelspin, even at 620bhp. Steering is exquisite and laser accurate, quite unlike a typical american muscle car. There are rumours that Lotus had a had in the development, which is very easy to believe when you drive one. Gearchange is very light, positive and tactile too. All the control weights are spot on. Ford nailed all the stuff that really matters.

It's absurd saying it's a pick up engine, by American standards it's highly sophisticated - alloy block with overhead cams and 4 valve heads and dry sump, it's light years ahead of a typical chevvy pushrod V8. With the accufab exhaust it sounds exactly like you would want a race Ford GT40 to sound too. Pure, raging thunder! The engine remains central to the car's appeal and the best V8 I have driven by some margin.

[Al U]

article said:

But you would have one over a Mercedes SLR McLaren, surely?

No, not in a million years.

ETA - ok, maybe I would: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MosUuF-aVkk

Edited by Al U on Tuesday 9th December 13:12

[anonymous-user]

Tuvra said:

Matte black looks "interesting"

Jesus. Imagine that behind you in traffic. I'd pull over and hide in the bushes.

[Dagnut]

the bullet proof transmission and block mean this car will take huge power standard, that's what has driven used values up. Plenty of these in the states running 1000hp.

[cib24]

Tuvra said:

Love these, would hate to pick a colour though, I love them all

Matte black looks "interesting"

Not a fan of matte paint on any car but give me the Ford GT in red, blue, silver, white or yellow and I will be the happiest man alive. It's time to fire up an old Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport game and drive this car virtually because that is the closest I will ever get to experiencing this beast.