Future Ford GT Super Car

[AtomicGT]

Okay, All of us have the best of the best race car with an incredible heritage of being the number one car of the 1960s and also of the current decade. But as time passes we all are, to a certain degree, looking for the next addition to the Ford GT Heritage. How many of us would jump at the chance of buying a Shelby GR-1 super car? I believe that Ford will re-organize and survive this latest economic downturn, but what Ford needs to realize is that no one remembers the specific year that the Escort won an award, but they do recognize and associate with ultimate performance cars that create legends. And Ford's Heritage is not on Escorts, Broncos, Explorers, Expeditions, Minivans, but on iconic automobiles that change the world of auto racing.

Hence the query?

Who would buy a Shelby GR-1, built by Ford, if it was available today?

Set me aside two, one for Monday - Thursday and the other Friday to Sunday! An I will fit in the Ford GT somewhere in that schedule!

 

[vyprgt2]

I think the GR-1 is stunning. Absolutely phenomenal....

I'd buy two as well- one yellow with black stripes and one red with black or silver stripes, please.

 

[Fast Freddy]

i would buy the shelby GR-1 today

 

[B O N Y]

Ditto!

 

[Gierkink]

I'd buy one.

 

[Midnite Blu]

Ditto, Ditto.......

 

[AtomicGT]

Hope the Ford SVT are reading these posts occasionally, I think there is a very positive support for producing the GR-1. Would sell like hotcakes!

 

[rsvdhd]

ditto!

 

[fjpikul]

If you go back through the old threads, we had a poll on this. GR-1: I'll take two as well.

 

[GTNJ]

One for me please.
How about a group buy. :biggrin

 

[Kirby Vieira]

One for sure. If Genaddi makes a roadster conversion and/or it is as great a car as the Ford GT, two for sure. :cheers

 

[dbk]

As you all know, for this to happen the car needs a "champion". The GT wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Bill Ford. If it were up to SVT, the GR-1 would already be out, and we'd be on our way through "Project Maranello" (which has been buried beneath the earth, never to be spoken of again) for the next 10 years.

In the current climate, the following four people can make a new Ford supercar happen:

Alan Mullaly - President and Chief Executive Officer
Mark Fields - Executive Vice President and President The Americas
Jim Farley - Group Vice President, Marketing and Communications and U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service (don't ask me what all that means)
and
Derrick Kuzak - Group Vice President, Global Product Development

I don't believe Alan is a "car guy", but he is an engineer who appreciates engineering prowess. He did ask to try a GT when he arrived at the company. None of the other three chose to purchase a GT, though Farley is a fan of the car and was at Lexus anyways during it's production, rendering that meaningless.

I will continue to bring it up every chance I get, but I don't see it in the cards. On more than one occasion I've pointed out the 100% guarantee that a great deal of people on the site would write the check tomorrow for a GR-1. Unfortunately I think the climate remains so shaky (and not just in Dearborn) that it would take a miracle to make it happen.

The business case is there. The car would make money, and would cost about 70-80% of what the GT program did. Between the GT500 and its derivations, the ****** (hmm), and a third SVT product in the form of the GR-1, the unit could become a profit machine. I don't think anyone gets just how absolutely killer the GT is. You have all these people that own Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches abandoning them in the garage and even buying multiple GT's because they love it so much. Obviously Ford fills the legitimate American exotic where Corvette and Viper do not.

Maybe we should draft a formal letter of request from all the insanely satisfied GT owners and I'll send it to all of them...

 

[KMCBOSS]

I would be happy if Ford just came out with the Ford 49!

 

[rsvdhd]

As far as I know, Ford lost big money on the GT. Not sure if they're in the position to continue to lose.

 

[B O N Y]

As you all know, for this to happen the car needs a "champion". The GT wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Bill Ford. If it were up to SVT, the GR-1 would already be out, and we'd be on our way through "Project Maranello" (which has been buried beneath the earth, never to be spoken of again) for the next 10 years.

In the current climate, the following four people can make a new Ford supercar happen:

Alan Mullaly - President and Chief Executive Officer
Mark Fields - Executive Vice President and President The Americas
Jim Farley - Group Vice President, Marketing and Communications and U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service (don't ask me what all that means)
and
Derrick Kuzak - Group Vice President, Global Product Development

I don't believe Alan is a "car guy", but he is an engineer who appreciates engineering prowess. He did ask to try a GT when he arrived at the company. None of the other three chose to purchase a GT, though Farley is a fan of the car and was at Lexus anyways during it's production, rendering that meaningless.

I will continue to bring it up every chance I get, but I don't see it in the cards. On more than one occasion I've pointed out the 100% guarantee that a great deal of people on the site would write the check tomorrow for a GR-1. Unfortunately I think the climate remains so shaky (and not just in Dearborn) that it would take a miracle to make it happen.

The business case is there. The car would make money, and would cost about 70-80% of what the GT program did. Between the GT500 and its derivations, the ****** (hmm), and a third SVT product in the form of the GR-1, the unit could become a profit machine. I don't think anyone gets just how absolutely killer the GT is. You have all these people that own Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches abandoning them in the garage and even buying multiple GT's because they love it so much. Obviously Ford fills the legitimate American exotic where Corvette and Viper do not.

Maybe we should draft a formal letter of request from all the insanely satisfied GT owners and I'll send it to all of them...

Ready to follow your leadership, this is the best post you have drafted in many months....

 

[dbk]

As far as I know, Ford lost big money on the GT. Not sure if they're in the position to continue to lose.

You know wrong my friend. Beyond the small profit the vehicle program itself turned, the advertising the car received by having the car on the front of every magazine for almost 4 years was priceless.

 

[dbk]

...this is the best post you have drafted in many months....

Thanks. Wait, what? :lol

 

[Kirby Vieira]

Thanks for the info Dave. I really like your letter of request idea. If it was accompanied by deposit checks of a few thousand dollars from every signee and Ford deposited the checks, me thinks they may be obligated to proceed. If the checks were returned, the fact that we sent checks would probably be something they have never experienced before and a lingering topic of executive conversation that may provide the momentum needed to get it on the front burner. :cheers

 

[B O N Y]

Kirby gets the BONY AWARD!!
GREAT IDEA, put me down for $5k

 

[MG0427]

I am in for a letter and check, worst is they shred it or return it, but if we don't try or push, it may never happen. Who is in?

Mg