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Ford GT
Concept Overview
The GT40 – the legendary car brought to life by Henry Ford II to change
performance car history – finds new life in a modern road car that
re-ignites Ford’s hallmarks of passion, performance and speed.
The new high-performance concept is inspired by the vehicle that roared
into the hearts of car enthusiasts everywhere during the 1960s. The new
GT40 joins Ford’s "Living Legends" lineup of production and concept cars,
including the Ford Thunderbird and Mustang, and the Forty-Nine
concept.
"GT40 is the ultimate Living Legend," explains J Mays, Ford vice
president of Design. "It’s a true supercar with appeal equal to that of
the greatest sports cars in the world, but with the addition of a heritage
no one can match. Essential elements of the original – including the
stunning low profile and mid-mounted American V-8 – continue in this
latest interpretation of the classic."
While the new concept and the original both share the mystique of the
GT40 name, they share not a single dimension. The concept is more than a
foot and a half longer and stands nearly four inches taller. Its new lines
draw upon and refine the best features of GT40 history and express the
car’s identity through modern proportion and surface development.
Design The GT40 concept casts the familiar, sleek silhouette of its namesake,
yet every dimension, every curve and every line on the car is a unique
reinterpretation of the original. The GT40 features a long front overhang
reminiscent of 1960s-era racecars. But its sweeping cowl, subtle accent
lines and fiber-optic headlamps strike a distinctly contemporary pose.
The front fenders curve over 18-inch wheels and Goodyear white-lettered
tires. In the tradition of championship racers, the doors cut into the
roof. Prominent on the leading edge of the rear quarter panel are
functional cooling scoops that channel fresh air to the engine. The rear
wheel wells, filled with 19-inch Goodyear tires, define the rear of the
car, while the accent line from the front cowl rejoins and finishes the
car’s profile at the integrated "ducktail" spoiler.
The interior design incorporates the novel "ventilated seats" and
instrument layout of the original car, with straightforward analog gauges
and large tachometer. Modern versions of the original car’s toggle
switches operate key systems.
"Like its namesake, the GT40 concept is not over-wrought with advanced
technologies," Mays says. "While it represents the best of Ford design,
engineering and expertise, it is a no-frills machine. You won't find
voice-activated telematics here – not even power windows – just pure,
refined performance."
Looking in through the backlight, one finds the essence of the sports
car in the MOD 5.4-liter V-8 engine and its complex array of polished
stainless-steel header pipes, braided stainless steel fuel lines with
anodized aluminum fittings and supercharger with intercooler.
"The GT40 concept should do three things: go fast, handle exceptionally
and look great," says Chris Theodore, Ford’s vice president of North
America Product Development. "To be true to its Ford heritage, we had to
create a supercar that would be uniquely a Ford. Anyone can do technology
showpieces, high-displacement engines and modernistic designs, but there’s
much more to a GT40. There’s heritage and heart. We think this car remains
true to the spirit of its predecessors." Chassis As on the historic car, the composite body panels are unstressed.
Instead of steel or honeycomb-composite tubs used in the 1960s, Ford’s SVT
Engineering group developed an all-new aluminum spaceframe as the
foundation for the GT40 concept. It features four-wheel independent
suspension with unequal-length control arms and longitudinally mounted
spring-damper units to allow for its low profile.
Braking is handled by six-piston aluminum Alcon calipers with
cross-drilled and vented rotors at all four corners. When the rear canopy
is opened, the rear suspension components and engine become the car’s
focal point. Precision-milled aluminum suspension components and attached
19-inch Goodyear tires – combined with the overwhelming presence of the
V-8 powertrain – create a striking appearance and communicate the GT40
concept’s performance credentials.
Powertrain The powerplant is an all-American V-8 from Ford's modular engine
family. The MOD 5.4-liter V-8 in the GT40 concept features aluminum four-valve heads, forged
crankshaft, H-beam forged rods and aluminum pistons fed by a supercharger,
all combining to make more than 500 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of
torque. These figures match or exceed those of the most powerful period
GT40, a car that could handily top 200 mph on the Mulsanne straight at Le
Mans. Because of the supercharger and high-revving, free-breathing
valvetrain, the new car produces this astounding power from an efficient
5.4-liter V-8 engine. The power is put to the road through an RBT
six-speed manual transmission.
What’s Next for GT40? The GT40 concept was created to foretell and test the future of
exciting Ford cars to come. As with other Living Legends concepts –
including the 1999 Thunderbird concept and Forty-Nine concept – the GT40
was engineered from the beginning for production feasibility. Ford’s SVT
Engineering – which also created performance versions of the Focus,
Mustang Cobra and F-Series Lightning – developed the chassis and
powertrain. SVT Engineering worked closely with Living Legends designers
to ensure the concept would live up to its performance heritage. 
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Photo: Ford Motor Company
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Photo: Ford Motor Company
Comments
The first three production vehicles will be unveiled on June 14 during Ford's week-long Centennial celebration. The build process of the first three production cars kicked off on March 10, 2003. Internally, these vehicles are referred to as "Jobs 1, 2, and 3", relating to Ford's term for the beginning of vehicle production, "Job #1". The three vehicles honor the magical first-, second-, third-place finish by Ford GT40s at the 1966 24 Hours of LeMans race. Regular production (or "Job #4") of the Ford GT will begin in Spring 2004. Ford will begin full Ford GT production with plans to produce about 1,500 of the supercars per year over the course of the program. The car will carry an MSRP of under $150,000, final pricing will be announced closer to full production.
Solid Structure: The Ford GT engineering team is doing most of their work "under the skin" since the exterior design basically follows the Ford GT40 concept car shown at the 2002 North American International Auto Show. Usually a new vehicle is designed from the inside out, meaning that the chassis and suspension points are set before the exterior body is designed around those dimensions. The exact opposite is true of the Ford GT. The Ford GT chassis is stiffer and more rigid than the current competitive set, and forecasts predict that it will be better than the upcoming competition as well."
Solid Power: The Ford GT will feature an all-aluminum 5.4-liter DOHC supercharged and intercooled V-8 engine. This engine will produce 500 horsepower and 500 ft.-lbs. of torque. The engine block is unique in its aluminum architecture, featuring aluminum cylinder heads that are an evolutionary step from the 2000 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra R. It also features components, such as the crankshaft and connecting rods, similar to those developed and proven out on the supercharged SVT Mustang Cobra and F-150 Lightning. The Ford GT powertrain team took the next step in supercharger technology by installing a "screw-type" supercharger onto the 5.4-liter engine. A "screw-type", as opposed to a "roots-type", supercharger is more efficient, especially in the higher RPM band, which will help supply the Ford GT with abundant power all the way up to the redline. The Ford GT 5.4-liter engine demonstrates the power-producing capability of the MOD motor design. The aluminum block developed for this program is extremely stout and will open up avenues for other applications of this engine, even in the aftermarket for racing engines.
The Ford GT features a 6-speed manual transaxle mounted behind the 5.4-liter engine. The Ricardo developed transaxle is close-ratio and features triple cone synchronization in the first four gears.
Regular production of the Ford GT will take place at the Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom,MI.
Comments Click To View Full Screen Photo Credit: John Palmisano |  Click To View Full Screen Photo Credit: John Palmisano |  Click To View Full Screen Photo Credit: John Palmisano |
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