2005 Ford GT

•        Limited production mid-engine supercar with historical significance

•              5.4 Liter Supercharged Engine with 550 horsepower

•              Most expensive Ford offered to date; MSRP $139,995 in 2005

The 2005 Ford GT, a rear engine V8 powered street legal supercar, pays homage to the original Ford GT of 1966 that raced to a dominating victory in the 1966 24 Hours of LeMans. While the car is visually similar to the Ford GT of the 1960s, the construction is significantly different with aluminum body panels, a superplastic formed frame, Brembo brakes, and an Eaton 2300 Supercharger feeding the all-aluminum block 4 valve per cylinder 5.7-liter V-8 engine. 

Introduced initially as a concept car in 2003 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company.  The car had sufficient consumer and enthusiast interest to be offered as a limited-edition production model beginning with the 2005 model year. The car shown here in Mark IV Red with optional white race stripes was the most popular color available in 2005.  The car’s design chief was Camilo Pardo, head of Ford’s “Living Legands” studio under the direction of J. Carroll Mays, Ford’s chief Creative Officer.  With close ties to the Ford GT in the 60’s, Carroll Shelby was brought in to help develop the car, including performance testing of the prototype. While the car had the looks of a pure racer, the reboot of the GT was developed purely as a street legal coupe, despite having outstanding performance and handling.  Notwithstanding, several privateer efforts went racing including an entry at LeMans in 2011 by Atlanta based Robinson Racing saw the Ford GT find its way to the racetrack. 

As a street going car, the GT not only was visually stunning with strong nostalgic reference to the 1960s era racer, but it also had the performance to place it in the realm of modern super cars.  With 550 horsepower and 500 ft/lbs of torque on hand, the Ford GT could reach speeds approaching 205 mph and a 0-60 acceleration of 3.3 seconds.

4-piston caliper Brembo brakes at each corner provided stopping power.  The engine features a dry sump oiling system to allow the powerplant to sit lower in the chassis and a 6 speed Ricardo manual transmission mated to a limited slip differential at the rear.  Independent coil over suspension was easily accessed under the rear engine cover.  Early 2005 examples of the GT were assembled under license at the Saleen Special Vehicles in Troy Michigan while the engine, a derivative of the 2000 Mustang SVT Cobra R powerplant, were built at Ford’s Romeo Michigan facility.

Demand for the car when announced in 2004 was enormous, despite the price tag which was the highest ever set for a Ford street legal automobile.  First year production was limited to only 2027 units for the 2005 model year and 2011 for the 2006 version.  Early editions were known to sell for up to $100,000 over the list price of $139,995 at the dealer.

With rarity and Ford’s history with the Ford GT, the car remains a solid investment and a wonderful chapter as one of the first true US-built super cars.

Specifications:

Engine: 5.7 Liter (329 cubic inch) DOHC 4 valve per cylinder V-8, mid-engine mounted, 6 speed Riccardo transmission

Performance: Top speed 205 mph, 0-60mph 3.3 seconds, standing ¼ mile 11.8 seconds

Chassis: 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-piston Brembo brakes, aluminum, magnesium and Carbon Fiber frame components

Power: 550 hp at 6500 rpm, 500 ft lbs torque at 4500 rpm

Weight: 3485 lbs