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.
GT40 Overview |
Specs | Images
