2006 Ford GT Review

Specifications

Blue-Oval Graces One of the Best Supercars in the World

What would you drive if you were the chairman and CEO of one of the largest MNCs in the world?  Ford Motors Bill Ford took delivery of a new GT when he was looking for a new ride last year.

Whats a Ford GT? Other than being a popular designation for a Grand Touring (or Gran Tourismo) car, normally a 2-door coupe, its also the official name given to Fords mid-engine supercar. At first glance youd think a blue-oval sports car would be targeting the bowtie-brand Corvette Z06 and Ram-adorned Viper, but while such entry-level exotics will no doubt put up a good fight, the GT has its sights on buyers of Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis.

Lofty company? No doubt, but to forget Fords pedigree in motorsport, which dates back farther than any of the three aforementioned supercar manufacturers have been in existence, and with respect to the GT, back to the mid-60s when a series of cars that look near identical swept the field in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring, amongst others, besting Porsches, Ferraris and, well, the first Lamborghini to enter the historic endurance race was fielded by the Japanese Lamborghini owners club, this year alone. The GT40 placed 1-2-3 at Le Mans in 1966 and won the next three consecutive years; an impressive feat that was replicated at this years Le Mans Classic race with three new GTs. I shouldnt need to delve into the automakers factory F1 team history, NASCAR involvement, current World Rally Championship efforts, or for that matter Champ Car, Australian Super V8 series, touring car… and the list goes on. Needless to say Ford commands a lot of respect in motorsport circles.

Having been privileged to pilot a number of super-exotic mid-engine machines over the years, from Ferrari F430s to Porsches otherworldly Carrera GT, Fords new GT deserves the same kind of respect as its motorsport division. But before I delve into a most memorable morning attacking the apexes at Ontario, Canadas Shannonville Raceway, I wanted to talk a bit about the car itself. First and foremost, any design similarities to the original GT40 are hardly accidental, but rather, the new GT being part of Fords “Living Legends” initiative was designed to conjure memories of what many refer to as the glory days of motorsport. This makes sense from a marketing perspective in so many ways it makes you wonder why more car companies arent following suit. Not only does it tie the brands flagship model, and therefore the entire blue-oval brand to Fords winning history, but its overall design also targets the 50+ age group that the GT is most likely to appeal to; due mostly to their financial capability to buy one.

Yes, its more expensive than a Corvette Z06 or Dodge Viper. Ford is going after these more conventional supercars with its 500-horsepower Shelby GT500, after all; a Mustang variant that single-handedly silences critics of live rear axle performance cars. Where the Shelby GT500 starts out at $40,930, you cant get a GT for any less than $149,995. Its six options are mostly cosmetic, starting with $750 for either red or gun-metal gray brake calipers, $5,350 for twin stripes in a variety of colors depending on the cars overall hue (and youve just got to have the stripes as it looks naked without them) and $13,000 for the Heritage Livery paint package that adorns the car in the GT40s Le Mans winning Gulf Oil powder blue and orange color scheme, plus black brake calipers. Additionally, you can upgrade the stock wheels to lightweight BBS rims, plus the stereo can be swapped for a McIntosh Audiophile system, a mere $4,000 for a 300-watt 3-channel amplifier mated up to an AM/FM/CD changer feeding five speakers and a sub. The sound is, well, spectacular.

Cmon though, a hot stereo is one thing, but give your head a shake for a second… its a $150K Ford?! Yes, the same brand that makes the Taurus wagon in every companys fleet pool, soon to be replaced by the very good, but nevertheless entry-level Fusion. Heck, my neighbor down the road drives a Focus and the one just to my right has an Explorer. Is the GT really worth more money than a Porsche Turbo? Well, that depends. If you really must have a Porsche badge to impress one of your neighbors, or you just happen to love the German cars classic lines and crave its superb performance, and it truly is an almost overwhelming supercar, then you should buck up for the Porsche. But the Ford GT is every bit as good a performance car, and in some ways better. Id even go so far to say that the GT is better than Porsches glorious Carrera GT!

Before you hurl insults, let me explain. Of course the Carrera GT boasts more power via its higher-tech V10 engine, and its carbon fiber tub and components are about as sophisticated as any road car has ever been, but its clutch pedal is difficult to use, and together with its somewhat peaky engine and on-the-edge handling its a challenging car for the better than average, but not professional driver to get the most out of. The GTs comparatively simple 5.4L DOHC 32-valve V8, which may be based on Fords modular V8 engine family but nevertheless integrates about 85 percent new reciprocating components for 550 horsepower, thanks to a modified screw-type supercharger blowing through a water-to-air intercooler, is more tractable than the Carrera GTs given its 63 pound-foot torque advantage - 500 lb-ft available at a relatively low 3,750 rpm.

But its more than just the engine, conventional clutch and the easy shifting six-speed manual transmission that makes the GT heroically fast, its overall balance is beyond belief. The Nelson Circuit (part of the Shannonville complex) is an interesting mix of short straights and tight corners, no elevation changes, plus tarmac thats uneven and hardly new, with curbs that vary in size and, yes, even include potholes; lets just say its a fairly decent real-world experience that allowed us to run like the wind without the need to check our shoulders for hidden police cruisers. With no concern for the less than pristine track surface, the GTs compliant suspension and optional one-piece BBS wheels shod in 235/45ZR18 front and meaty 315/40ZR19 rear Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires made the most of the situation at hand and delivered breathtaking yet confidence inspiring high-speed handling.

That compliant yet nimble suspension is comprised of double-wishbones at all corners, plus unequal-length rheo-cast aluminum control arms, coil-over monotube shocks and stabilizer bars, front and rear. One-piece Brembo brake calipers with four pistons apiece clamp down onto cross-drilled, vented rotors measuring 14 inches up front and 13.2 inches at the rear, resulting in superb stopping power, and virtually fade-free performance. Unlike some supercars, Ford enhances the brakes with ABS and electronic brake force distribution so that regular folks can provide consistent braking no matter the speed or whether, due to more bravado than skill, braking mid-corner.

What else makes it so competent? Some of the details include super-plastic-formed aluminum body panels, one-piece door panels, a friction-stir welded center tunnel, roll-bonded floor panels, a capless fuel filler system, plus an aluminum engine cover with a one-piece carbon-fiber inner panel; hardly low-tech stuff, held together by an Audi-like all-aluminum space frame made up of thirty-five extrusions, seven complex castings, two semi-solid formed castings, and numerous stamped aluminum panels. Its sizable center tunnel houses the mid-mounted fuel tank, plus the cut-out roof sections for the cantilevered doors pay homage to those on the original. Very cool.

By the way, while the new GT looks much like the classic GT40, the “40″ designation stipulating its extremely low overall height, the new car is 4 inches taller and 18 inches longer; its actually about 9/8ths scale. Not only does this provide greater interior room, something the original was short on, but its modern day mechanicals, electronics, high-quality materials and top-notch switchgear wont embarrass its owner when word gets out close to $150K was invested. On the contrary, the cars handcrafted detail, with lots of individually sculpted aluminum and magnesium, is surprisingly bespoke; although considering that each car has been almost completely hand-made, the high quality shouldnt be so surprising.

Altogether, Ford has created one of the best supercars Ive ever driven. That the GT is stunning to look at, stirs up endorphin-releasing emotions that date back to my childhood, and makes me feel like Jacky Ickx at the limit, are added bonuses. Ickx in mind, it would be nice to nab one of the limited edition Heritage Livery models, but my understanding is all are spoken for. Therefore, other GTs have been doused in Mark II Black Clearcoat, Mark IV Red Clearcoat, Midnight Blue Clearcoat metallic, Speed Yellow Clearcoat, Tungsten Grey Clearcoat Metallic, and Vibrant White Clearcoat, while the stripes can be had in black, white, silver or blue, depending on overall color choice, although at this point I think youd best be happy with whatever color you can get, as when the 2006 model run ends, the rear-drive Wixom plant that theyre built in is closing and the GT will be no more.