#2015DetroitAutoShow: Meet The New Ford GT - Legend Is Back!

The carbon fibered twin-turbocharged-EcoBoost powered 2016 Ford GT will join the Blue Ovals performance clan - Focus RS, F-150 Raptor, Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT350R

Ford has revived the legendary GT nameplate again at the ongoing 2015 NAIAS - North American-International-Auto-Show aka the Detroit Auto Show. The new GT retains the iconic curves of its predecessor, subtly in a modern way and its production is entitled to kickstart by 2016. 

To the naive's, Ford won its first overall Le Mans title with the GT40 endurance race car in 1966 and continued the winning spree for the next consecutive four years. And in the falls of 2004 keeping the same design, Ford re-introduce road-spec GT sports car but it was discontinued in 2006, with lil’ over 4000 units produced. 

“We are passionate about innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound.” - Mark Fields 

Mark Fields, Ford president and Chief Executive Officer, stated referring to Henry Ford’s win of a 1901 car race that inspired financial backers to invest in his company - “As we at Ford drive innovation into every part of our business, it’s worth remembering that our first innovation as a company was not in a laboratory, but on the racetrack.” 

Design and Aerodynamics 

The new GT has extensively used carbon fiber along with the aluminum to make - agile, lighter and indeed flamboyant than ever GT. Adding on its inspiration with the original GT, even the head and taillights are very much identical to original car. The doors pop out swinging upward revealing interiors which are modern and less claustrophobic. The steering wheel is F1 styled, loaded with buttons and dressed up in Alcantara while instrumentation cluster is fully digital.   

Talking about the aerodynamics - GT offers things like deployable rear spoiler among others. It rides on specifically-designed-for-GT Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 20-inch radials.

Heart?

Most powerful production EcoBoost ever

2016 GT ditched the 2005’s supercharged thundering V8 for a more modern Ford’s renowned EcoBoost powertrain. Indeed, it gets the next-gen twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 developing 600 horsepower and is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle transmission.

“The GT is the ultimate execution of an enthusiast supercar” - Raj Nair

Raj Nair, Ford Group Vice President, Global Product Development, said - “GT includes innovations and technologies that can be applied broadly across Ford’s future product portfolio – another proof point that Ford continues raising the performance bar while ultimately improving vehicles for all of our customers.”

“While we hope enthusiasts rejoice about this all-new GT, all Ford customers will benefit from the ultimate performance Ford and its new-generation innovations,” Nair added further.

With Mustang getting a new meaner elder sibling - GT, the American rivalry is now hotter than ever - Chevy Camaro-Corvette & Dodge Challenger-Viper 

Source : CarDekho