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Leith Cars Blog

New Ford GT Takes GTE-Class Victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans

Before 1966, American car manufacturers hadn’t made much headway in the European racing scene. Typically, Ferrari was taking home first place with Porsche right at their heels, and Ford was crossing the line 40 laps or more behind them. But on June 19^th, 1966, Ford introduced its GT40 Mk.II – a 7.0L V8 that swept the 24 Hours of Le Mans podium with a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place win.

Now, on the 50^th anniversary of their first 24 Hours of Le Mans appearance, Ford has made history again. Their new Ford GT – built to celebrate the anniversary of their 1966 Le Mans victory – has taken home first place in the GTE-Class, beating out the 3.9L V8 Ferrari.

The Ford GT

Powered by aN EcoBoost 3.5L Turbo V6, the Ford GT should be a lesson to anyone complaining about underpowered V6 motors. They’re not as big, as loud, or even as powerful as the V8, but being big and loud doesn’t always cut it. The Ford GT’s V6 produces 600 horsepower to the Ferrari V8’s 661 horsepower, but the secret of its speed lies in what it lacks.

Ford has cut down on the weight of the GT by constructing the body and frame almost exclusively out of carbon fiber. The windshield is also made with Gorilla Glass – the same type of glass used on your smartphone screens – making it lighter and just as strong as traditional glass. This lightweight build and aerodynamic design allows the GT to cut through the air like a F-18 fighter jet.

An Exclusive Supercar

Each year, Ford will only build 250 GTs for production, which means not every car enthusiast with $485,000 will get their hands on one. And interestingly, Ford won’t be selling these super cars on a first-come, first-serve basis. Instead, potential buyers will have to submit an application for a chance to own a GT.

Unfortunately, you can no longer apply for a Ford GT. It’s a shame, considering how unlikely we are to ever see one in person, but at least we have the configurator to drool over.

Maybe Leith Ford will have a chance to bring one out to the dealership for an event. If we do, you can guarantee we’ll send out an invite to all our readers.