2017 Ford GT: While It Will Make You Rethink The Blue Oval

It might seem funny, to see the Ford emblem, that is so familiar from all the Fusions and Fiesta’s you see on a daily basis, on a high-performance supercar like the GT. Jokes can be made, but this will only display a sincere lack of knowledge on the part of the person who made it, despite the fact that Ford does give them some reason to believe that these jokes are warranted.

In the industry, Ford has a reputation for making some of the best engines in the world, and that is why the GT shares its engine with one of the most popular pick-up trucks in the US: the F-150. No, not the V8, but the V6 EcoBoost. Many car enthusiasts might have stopped reading by now, but I do mind you that Ford put this engine in the GT out of strength, and not weakness. The engine is simply that good, especially when fitted with two turbos and a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. It puts down 647 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque, much less than its competitors: Ferrari’s F12 Berlinetta (731 HP) and Lamborghini’s Aventador (730 HP).

This makes the Ford GT seem to lack in every department, against cars that it sees as its competitors. And yes, there is indeed another segment in which the GT lacks seriously: weight! It is 800 pounds lighter the Aventador, and 400 pounds lighter than the F12berlinetta. This brings the playing field back into the favor of the Ford, as it was Colin Chapman (the iconic founder of Lotus) who said:  Simplify, then add lightness. With half the amount of cylinders and a whole lot less weight, this seemed to some extent be exactly what Ford did.

The result is a brutal rocket on wheels. The moment you touch the gas pedal it wants to go, eagerly, breaking through speed limits, and preferably the sound barrier. The dual-clutch automatic makes this power rush become an instant and constant sensation until the top speed has been reached, although there are points in which you seriously ask yourself if the GT even has a top speed, or that it just accelerated forever.

The GT is so well made, so advanced, that it makes you wonder why the brand doesn’t fill up the gap between the high-performance models of the Ford Mustang and this GT. This time not under the name of a subsidiary, but bearing its own “blue collar” oval. Why? Because this GT outperforms most of its competitors, is technically super advanced, and is fully worth its $500.000,- price tag. Its design is also breathtaking, and Ford even has been able to make that V6 sound amazing. It will redefine the presumption some people might have had about Ford, and it reaffirms car connoisseurs that know better, that the brand still has that special touch!