In 2016 development testing, Ford pitted a GT against a McLaren 675LT and Ferrari 458 Speciale at Canada's Calabogie Motorsports Park. With the same driver for each of the cars, the GT clocked a time of 2:09.8 around the track, while the McLaren’s time was 2:10.8 and the Ferrari’s 2:12.9.
SAE-rated at 647 horsepower and with 550 lb.-ft. of torque, Ford's new high-output 3.5-litre V6 powerplant produces the most horsepower of any EcoBoost production engine ever, making Ford GT the fastest production car ever to wear the Blue Oval badge. The engine's wide powerband produces 90 percent of its peak torque from 3,500 rpm.
"Our expectation has always been that the EcoBoost V6 would perform exceptionally well in the Ford GT – both in terms of power as well as aerodynamic efficiency," said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. "We tested and developed this powertrain through the Daytona Prototype race car that ran in IMSA for two seasons, last season racing with Ford GT. We are extremely pleased with how it performs, both on the track and on the road."
Ford GT's dry weight just tops 1,360kgs, which places the supercar between its two primary competitors, the McLaren 675LT and Ferrari 488.
"The Ford GT is all about performance," said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, global product development and chief technical officer. "We achieved considerable weight savings with the carbon fiber architecture. We then reinvested some of that savings into where it counts most – performance, specifically, the active dynamics. The result is an even faster car."
The active dynamics systems – for both suspension and aerodynamics – are designed to make the car perform with optimum downforce, drag and balance at any speed, creating a faster setup regardless of driver skill level.
Ford GT has proven itself time and again, racing to class wins at Le Mans and numerous other tracks in both IMSA and WEC last season. The production Ford GT shares a great deal with the high-performance track version, with advanced aero and suspension features added that take it to another level.
