So, let’s talk about the Ford GT for a minute. It’s been around for two years now, production is highly limited, Ford is very controlling about vehicle resales (ask John Cena and Mecum Auctions just how controlling Ford can be) and the racing program that saw the GT go to LeMans, IMSA and WEC will be dead by the end of the year…anyone racing the GT afterwards is doing so independently without any support from Ford. From the jump, the newest form of the GT has been a bit strange…no doubt it’s a hard-core race car first and a street car second, but the twin-turbo V6, no matter how potent, just hasn’t been easy to warm up to and then there is the issue of Ford’s artificial exclusivity dealings. The new GT is a tech marvel and is unquestionably fast, but the GT of the mid-2000s did the same with the all-American V8 snarl and was much more approachable to get into.
Among the many Ford products that will appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month in the U.K. will be what is being teased as an “exciting” bit of news. Hm. Keep in mind that among the Ford areas, you’ll find the new Shelby GT500, the 2018 NASCAR Fusion from Team Penske that took the trophy, the #66 GT race car that was at LeMans, a 1980 Zakspeed Turbo Capri, Ken Block’s “Hoonitruck” and Escort RS Cosworth, Vaughn Gittin, Jr.’s RTR Mustang drifter and the Euro-only, brand new Focus ST. Ford will even have a Ranger Raptor playing in an off-road section. So what, exactly, could they be offering up on July 4th?
That’s where you come in, readers. The GT is an icon for Ford, an ambassador to the world. The photo that Ford put out shows a roof scoop, a new wing and…well, that’s it. We’re sure at least 80% of you want to hear a Coyote V8 in the engine bay. Maybe it’s going to race in a different series. What else can you come up with?
Just say NO to the V-6
Want: Keep the great brakes and suspension, go no tech (no nannies) everywhere else, man pedal, V8, big price drop, sell lots of them!
A “base” model with a price range around the top of the new mid engine Vette – I still couldn’t afford it but apparently lots of other people can.
An RS version set on full kill that gives a big red white and blue one finger salute to every exotic. Figure the price on that is “the sky’s the limit” but at least 150% of the base since it will be made out of 100% unubtainium to save fractions of a gram on everything and the entire drivetrain is multi axis CNC billet. The sort of car that the rich guy could privateer at LeMans straight from the factory.
A “Club Racer” variant which is either
A) seriously decontented where little things like HVAC , air bags , sound deadener , power anything , emission controls , mufflers are removed. It gets a cage a fuel cell and the best Ford Racing coyote crate motor. Spec racer in its own new class maybe ?
B) this is the “base” model – gets a N/A 5.2 VooDoo, 6 speed, HVAC PW , stereo and nothing else. No Magna ride or electronic suspension kind of the GTmeets the 07-09 GT500 kind of thing. Nice but not too nice , very straight forward and fun but no Ferrari killer. Cheaper by a chunk but still expensive since it is still a GT. In this scenario the base model listed above becomes a “Mid” model.
I hope they put an LS in it
Going to be a hybrid car unfortunately
A tribute to the best Ford GT the MkIV with a 427 Coyote Motor based on the running gear of its predecessor!
Affordable.
Hmmm.. I wonder if a variant of the new 7.3 would fit?…