Ford supercars
Tue, 29 Jul 2008
By
29 July 2008 09:00
The Blue Oval might be more at home building Escorts and Mondeos, but it too has dabbled in the superecar arena in the past four decades. And considering the company's main engineering focus, the two supercars it has built both qualify for CAR's landmark supercar status. The original GT40 was a rude shock to Maranello and took a string of racing victories home as proof; the newer GT was equally adept and more than one magazine placed it ahead of its Italianate contemporaries. Bravo the Blue Oval
Make and model
Year
Price
Engine
0-60mph
Top speed
1965
£6700
4763cc V8, 306bhp, 329lb ft
4.0sec
154mph
For
Do you really care that it was a racer first?
Against
Dynamics and ergonomics betray those race-car roots
Verdict
Looks more at home in Gulf colours than a plain road paintjob
The GT40 was mid-engined, low, fast and rare. But it wasn't the first supercar; it was a race car developed with the sole intention of beating Ferrari at Le Mans, which it did four times. The road versions were an afterthought
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Make and model
Year
Price
Engine
0-60mph
Top speed
2002
£120,000
5409cc V8, 500bhp, 500lb ft
3.8sec
190mph
For
The handmade, supercharged 5.4-litre V8 produces well in
excess of the 550bhp Ford claims
Against
Gorgeous, but styling is a straight lift from the Sixties original
Verdict
Hugely impressive for a firm with no recent supercar heritage
Another supercar birthday present; this time from Ford to itself for its centenary. Just like its forebear, the new GT was an instant Ferrari-beater, with the first of the 4000 made selling for huge premiums
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