Here we are, days away from the Detroit Auto Show, and die-hard Ford guys like me are anxiously awaiting news of what's rumored to be the biggest reveal of the show: a new Ford GT.
The history of the original Ford GT, later known as the GT40, is legendary. It was a result of Henry Ford II getting screwed by Enzo Ferrari and deciding it wouldn't be right to not return the favor to Il Commendatore. So Ford started with Eric Broadley and his Lola GT and, along with the help of John Wyer, Carroll Shelby, and a host of others, created the original Ford GT. Which, as we know, went on to win the famous 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966 for Ford and became, quite deservedly, the halo car of Ford's entire "Total Performance" generation.
I owned one of the 31 original Mk.I "Road Coupes" for many years. It was a tremendous device to use on the track but it was clearly never intended to be a road car. Note: that never stopped me from using it in either venue.
It was a hard car to fault—a true Detroit supercar that's just as popular today as it was more than eight years ago, when the last one was built. What modern Ferrari can claim that? Based on my nine (and counting) years of Ford GT ownership, I can say it remains as exciting to drive as it was the day I picked it up.
But the GT supercar is exactly the opposite of what the original GT40 was: a tremendous road car, but quite far away from a track-ready competition car. It was never raced by Ford in a factory effort.
So what kind of car will Ford's new GT be? I have absolutely no idea, but I do know what I want it to be. It has to look like a Ford GT, even if it is more homage than facsimile. I want to see it race, and win, under the Ford banner just like the original—and all signs point to that being the plan—on the anniversary of the original GT's first Le Mans win, no less.
It needs to be all Ford, unlike the GT40 and to some extent the 2005-2006 Ford GT, which had certain processes (like paint) subcontracted outside of Ford itself. Certainly a road-going version that is relevant worldwide would be not only good for Ford but also for anybody with a pulse.
Keep the weight, and the gadgets, to a minimum. V8 power (a 750+ horsepower EcoBoost version of Ford's new GT350 flat-plane crank unit, please) with a real manual transmission would be welcomed.
But most importantly, no matter what it is, I hope like hell they are really going to build it. Because, speaking from experience, we need it.
