As part of their centennial celebration, Ford set out to showcase its heritage brands of automobiles including the Mustang and the Thunderbird. Of course, no celebration of Ford’s history would be complete without paying tribute to its late-1960’s dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford made a name for itself there as the dominant player in motorsports by earning four consecutive victories from 1966-1969. Fans of racing history could appreciate the significance of Ford breaking Ferrari’s stranglehold on that race, as recounted in the 2019 film Ford vs. Ferrari. Ferrari was not only a rival, they were also king of the auto racing world. Ford knew that to be the best they had to beat the best. And beat them they did.

The car behind the checkered flag was the epic GT40. “GT” stands for “Grand Touring,” while the number 40 represents the car’s height, measured in inches. And what better way to honor its past than by creating a new vehicle to properly celebrate it. The result is the Ford GT. The name was changed slightly from the car it was honoring, as the trademarked name “GT40” belonged to another company. When the concept car finally came to market, consumer demand was at a fever pitch. The GT was hit, although production was strategically limited to a mere 2,011 vehicles in 2006.

Oftentimes a company will produce a consumer version of a famous race car that’s little more than an underpowered salute to auto racing. That’s not the case with the Ford GT. The supercharged all-aluminum V8 produces ridiculous performance numbers. Zero-to-sixty in 3.7 seconds. A quarter-mile in under twelve seconds. This car roars to 100 miles an hour before you can finish telling a knock-knock joke. But despite the mind-blowing performance, the GT is remarkably drivable. It’s more than fast enough to get you into trouble, but stable enough to keep you out of it.

The interior can best be described as “retro spacecraft.” Sleek, industrial, and built for warp speed. While the interior is comfortable, there is absolutely nothing warm & fuzzy about it – nor should there be. The GT is built for speed and built to win. And winners don’t concern themselves with soft touches and gentle nudges. Anyone who has a problem with that can talk to the tailpipe, because the rest of the car doesn’t want to hear it. See ya! (cue the sound of the GT peeling out).