Delivery-mile, as-new Ford GT for sale
New Ford GTs don't exist any more; time for the next best thing...
While the original Ford GT is often (and understandably) celebrated as an all-American hero that took on the might of Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966, it’s often forgotten just how British it really was. Based on the Lola Mk6 GT and developed by Ford Advanced Vehicles in David Brent’s Slough, no less, in engineering terms, the mid-engined Le Mans winning legend is arguably more Anglo than it was American. But the same could not be said for its 21st-century successor. In fact, not only was Ford Europe out of the loop during the latest GT’s development, about 99.9 per cent of its domestic workers weren’t in on it either. It’s said that just 12 people at Ford were aware of the GT before it astounded onlookers at the 2015 North American Auto Show.
One thing was the same, though: the car’s low, steeply angled headlight lenses were aimed squarely at Le Mans, with the modern GT - just like its iconic forebear - developed from the ground up to go racing. Or to be more precise, to win. And you had to hand it to Ford for creating an all-new (well, kind of - more on that in a minute) GTE class contender to fight the likes of Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Porsche, and of course, Ferrari. Once again, Ford’s reputation rested on its success - and once again the Blue Oval entrant went on to beat a Ferrari.
And guess what? This 21st-century racing GT wasn’t all-American either. Built in Ontario, Canada by highly successful engineering and racing firm Multimatic Motorsports, it had racing in its veins, with a dash of maple syrup. Best of all, the same was true for the roadgoing GTs, which were built alongside the race cars using the same aero-focused body wrapped tightly over a mid-engined, carbon base, complete with a twin-turbocharged V6 of 3.5 litres.
This is pretty much the only component that counters claims that the Ford GT was ‘all-new’, because the EcoBoost unit had been taken from the F150 pick-up truck, albeit heavily overhauled to work to output 660hp. While the street GT was a fair bit quieter than the deafening Le Mans racer (which to me sounded like it produced the world’s loudest and longest quack), it didn’t have to run a class-balancing restrictor, as per World Endurance Championship rules. So in a straight line, the road car was quicker.
Not that mere mortals would notice. I actually joined the Ganassi squad at the 2016 6 Hours of Spa in the run-up to Le Mans, and one of its drivers, Marino Franchitti, told me I was a “lucky ****” for being able to drive the then-also-new Ford Focus RS on a following Spa track day (of course, I’d have swapped keys in a heartbeat). To me, the new GT looked astoundingly quick - and while the Ganassi team failed to win that weekend at Spa, a podium finish (for car 67, driven by a trio of Brits, Franchitti, Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell, funnily enough) confirmed the pace. Some pundits even reckon the team was sandbagging ahead of Le Mans…
Whatever the true nature of that pre-Le Mans WEC season, the truth is the modern GT - like its predecessor - is a legend. So that helps to explain why the 2021 example you see here is on sale at European Prestige for over half a million pounds more than GTs were first ordered for in 2016, and almost £300k more than they cost in later years. Also helping with that explanation is a 29-mile odometer reading, not to mention an epic black with white stripes theme that’s echoed inside with Shadow Black and Dark Energy Alcantara. It's a lot of money, clearly. But this is a racing car with number plates that’s closely related to a Le Mans winner - and yet quicker in a straight line. Need I say more?
SPECIFICATION | FORD GT
Engine: 3,496cc, V6, twin turbocharged
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 660 @ 6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 553 @ 5,900rpm
CO2: N/A
MPG: N/A
Recorded mileage: 29
Year registered: 2021
Price new: £420,000
Yours for: £749,995
Also raced at Le Mans, whilst its engine has also powered the outright winning car for the last 3 years.
Not sure I'd have mine in black, as I don't think it shows off the design details very well. Stunning cars though.
Also raced at Le Mans, whilst its engine has also powered the outright winning car for the last 3 years.
Also raced at Le Mans, whilst its engine has also powered the outright winning car for the last 3 years.
a quick PCP check, with 10k down and assuming it holds its price its a bargain of £4115 a month, less than double the avg uk take home pay
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