Ford GT is First Produced

The Ford GT is a mid-engined supercar. It was built by Ford Motor Company from 2005 to 2006. It began as a concept car designed in anticipation of Ford's centennial year and as part of its drive to showcase and revive its "heritage" names such as Mustang and Thunderbird. Camilo Pardo, the head of Ford's "Living Legends" studio, is credited as the chief designer of the GT and worked under the guidance of J Mays. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's classic GT40 race cars of the 1960s and the GT is sometimes mistaken for its 1960s counterpart.
Positive response on the auto show circuit in 2002[citation needed] helped persuade the company to produce the car in limited quantities, and the first production versions appeared in 2005. It is a very high-performance, two-seater vehicle with a strong styling resemblance to its racing ancestor and performance to match. The powerplant is a mid-mounted supercharged 5.4 litre V8, producing 550 horsepower (410 kW) and 500 foot-pounds force (680 N·m).

At the 1995 Detroit Auto Show, the Ford GT90 concept was shown and at the 2002 show, a new GT40 Concept was unveiled by Ford.
The GT is similar in outward appearance to the original Ford GT40 cars, but bigger, wider, and three inches (76 mm) taller than the original 40 inches (1.02 m)—as a result of which, a potential name for the car was the GT43. Although the cars are visually related, structurally, there is no similarity between the modern GT and the 1960's GT40 that inspired it. Three production prototype cars were shown in 2003 as part of Ford's centenary, and delivery of the production Ford GT began in the fall of 2004.
A British company, Safir Engineering, who made continuation GT40s in the 1980s owned the GT40 trademark at that time, and when they completed production, they sold the excess parts, tooling, design, and trademark to a small Ohio company called Safir GT40 Spares. Safir GT40 Spares licensed the use of the GT40 trademark to Ford for the initial 2002 s...

Mustangs, Thunderbirds and F-series pickups are all legendary Fords that have populated America's highways for decades. Numbering in the millions, they're recognizable to just about everyone. For motorsports fans or those familiar with Ford's racing heritage, however, there's a lesser known but equally iconic "halo" model that best represents the technological capabilities of the marque: the exotic limited-production Ford GT sports car.

Arriving in prototype form just in time for Ford's Centennial celebration in 2003, the Ford GT debuted for 2004 as the modern, road-going interpretation of the GT40 endurance racing car that beat Ferrari and swept the 24 Hours of Le Mans race four years in a row from 1966-'69. The ultrahigh-performance two-seat Ford GT was produced from 2004 through 2006 and showcased many advanced technologies, befitting its $140,000 price tag. It sported a supercharged mid-mounted V8 engine, an aluminum chassis, superplastic-formed aluminum body panels, a capless fuel filler, cross-drilled Brembo brakes and a carbon-fiber engine cover. Not only did these exotic features showcase a technological tour de force, they also formed a visual feast once the large rear engine cover was opened.

After climbing inside -- a process made awkward by the GT's pronounced door frames that extend well into the roof -- the driver and lucky passenger enjoy surprisingly roomy accommodations for even 6-plus-footers. The cockpit offers a satisfying blend of old and new -- the wide gauge cluster with center-mounted tach, the red starter button, a metal shift knob, large toggle switches and carbon-fiber seats remind you of its more primitive heritage, while the magnesium center console and illuminated climate controls lend a modern and civilized touch. As you might expect, rear visibility is a weak point, but it's a trade-off we have no problem accepting.

Once underway, however, whatever ergonomic shortcomings the GT may have disappear as quickly as the road in ...

Ford GT was created on the base model of Ford GT40 racecar, which in 1966 LeMans race beat all of its competition - the best racers with best racecars in the world.
The fact that it can be driven on the highway as well as on the racetrack is really amazing. This car does not use any special aviation fuel like most of the supercars and yet it is known to outperform it's rival cars like the Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini. Ford Motor Company has decided to produce only 4200 GT sports car units in the 2005-2006 years. Depending on chosen accessories, retail price varies from $143,000 to $157,000. Ford GT is really incredible when it comes to its racing performance. In 0-60mph test GT (3.3 sec) beats a $193,000 Ferrari Challenge Stradale (4.0 sec) by 0.7 seconds.
Ford GT features 18-inch front wheels, 19-inch rear wheels and GoodYear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. All GT models share one common design element, which makes their exterion look so amazing. The doors are cut into the roof of the car, this fact gives itr a very specific and exotic look.