Ford GT is the only mid-engine supercar produced by any American carmaker, and until Chevrolet decides to assemble one, the GT will remain unique in the States. The 2017 Ford GT will be coming out of the factory within the next four weeks, and in the meantime, it was tested at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president of global product development, was in charge of this project, and many people address him as the father of the GT, which was named “Stormtrooper” by company’s engineers.
In order to improve aerodynamics, the cabin has a teardrop shape, whereas under the hood of the new car we have a 3.5-liter V6 about which we will talk a little bit later. The 2017 Ford GT has that Formula 1 design and the pre-production GT come in Frozen White and Black colors.
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Active Aerodynamics
This GT is equipped with active grille shutters with the purpose to manage downforce for the front wheels, and they are hidden by air intakes. At the beginning of the test ride, there was too much downforce, which was balanced in the rear by an active spoiler. Under heavy braking, the rear spoiler acts as an air brake and its position is changed if you drive the car at high speed. The engineers managed to achieve this by adding a small cam inside that is in charge of optimizing the airflow, and if the conditions demand to maximize downforce, the rear spoiler will help you out with that.
Driving Modes
The 2017 Ford GT comes with five driving modes – Normal, Wet, Sport, Track and V-Max. You can select some of this modes via a control knob which is located at the upper left side of the steering. You will always know when you are driving the car in the Normal mode because the instrument cluster display is unique. Normal mode offers Comfort suspension setting and a nose lift function, both of these can be selected and activated by pressing the button on the center console.
In normal mode, the suspension of the car provides 4.7 inches of ground clearance, which is the same for the Wet mode. The only difference is that in the Wet mode, the throttle response is softened, and it is a great driving option for rainy days. Moreover, the traction control is loosened up, and the more than necessary anti-lag system is engaged.
The Track mode is the right one if you want to test the speed of the 2017 Ford GT. It lowers the ride height to only 2.7 inches of the ground clearance which increases the speed and agility of the vehicle. Moreover, the suspension is stiffened, and torsion beams and pushrods which are mated to Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve shock absorbers offer much better feel on track. This DSSV can also be seen on the Chevy Camaro Z/28. The V-Max mode is the real deal, and it allows the car to exceed the 200-mph speed.
Ford GT Engine
The 2017 Ford GT comes with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 which is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. According to Nair, the American carmaker wanted to give GT a V8 or a twin turbo V8, but they gave up on that idea eventually and everything turned out well. The V6 offers increased fuel efficiency (not that we care about that), and we are waiting for the final EPA clarification. More importantly, this powerplant should produce at least 600 hp and will come far lighter than any V8 turbo that Blue Oval company could put in here.
Interior
The interior is good-looking, and it is driver-focused with a lot of high-quality materials. The seats are fixed into the carbon-fiber tub, and the pedals and steering wheel are the ones that can be adjusted because the driver’s seat is fixed as well. In order to increase comfort, the seat backs can be reclined to some point. The cabin of the 2017 Ford GT looks like the one in McLaren a little bit, and there are only a few buttons inside, whereas some parts such as Sync 3 infotainment and headlight switch and transmission gear selector can be seen in other Ford vehicles.
2017 Ford GT price
Some of the competitors of the new GT are McLaren 675LT, Porsche 911 GT3, and Ferrari 488 GTB. Although the 2017 Ford GT should start with deliveries later in December, the car will still see some minor upgrades. The US carmaker plans to produce the GT for the next four years with 250 units built per year. The starting price of the 2017 Ford GT will be $450,000.
