The 24 hours of Le Mans race is one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world which is also considered as the “Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency”. In French, “24 Heures du Mans”, is one of the oldest active sports car endurance racing, held since 1923, near the town of Le Mans in France.
The 3 generations of Ford GT’s winning scores against Ferrari and 50 years of Le Mans heritage as follows:
The first Le Mans win by Ford GT or GT40 is in 1966. The mid-engine 427 cubic inches of V8 supercar or the famous Blue Oval won 3 more times beating Ferrari from 1966 – 1969. The curb weight is under 2400 pounds and power of 700 hp. These winnings create a string of American racing victories, thus creating a history in the sport and also a legacy around Ford GT.
In 2005 – 2006, the company again revived the legend after 40 years. But this GT40, unlike the original GT40 that use to beat Ferrari in race-track. The 21st century Ford GTs beat the Ferrari on the street. This Ford GT actually outgunned Ferrari’s 360 and 430 mid-engine sports car with 5.4 liters, 550 horsepower supercharged V8 engine, curb weight 3500 pounds, in the era and put Ford ahead of its Italian rival again.
This is not all. The Ford’s performance team in 2012, started a secret project to revive the Ford GT legacy again. Exactly, after 50 years, in 2016, GT40 has its first win over Ferrari at Le Mans. The result is another victory of Ford GT over Ferrari 488, after a hard-fought i.e., 24 hours battle for both the manufacturers. It ensured another impressive race legacy for the newest Ford GT. This is not the end. Ford took second place to Aston Martin in the last year in the same 24 hours Le Mans race and it will again compete in the 2018 and 2019 French race.
For celebrating Ford’s ongoing race saga, all the 3 generations of Ford GT are put forward. Each of these generation cars is stick with a rear-drive mid-engine layout, each with a unique personality that reflects their primary missions. Each generation highlighted their engineering goals behind the characteristics and design of Ford GT, driving all back-to-back. Along with this, a reinforced consistent DNA that spanning 5 decades of Blue Oval supercar heritage.
The new Ford GT 0 60 is powered by a twin turbo-charged, 3.5 liter V6, that leverages 647 horsepower to sprint from 0 – 60 in 3 seconds flat. It’s a dual clutch, 7-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters that offers lightning quick gear choices. By using carbon fiber chassis, it saves weight and a Gorilla glass windshield. This keeps the new GT below 3200 pounds. During the long track days, standard ceramic brakes provide fade-free stopping power. The car is designed in conjunction with streetcar and racing car that already wins the Le Mans. To realize this connection you need to drive it aggressively.
