Ford’s 2017 GT is a study in dichotomies. It’s a high-performance American exotic powered by the efficiency of EcoBoost technology. It’s also a look back on Ford history and a glimpse into the automaker’s future.
The GT is inspired by the Blue Oval’s Le Mans racecars of the 1960s, which won the race four years in a row. Ferrari remembers. Next year, Ford will return to Le Mans with the racing version of its GT – and be looking to whip some prancing horses all over again.
Ford Performance has its eyes set on performance off the track, too.
XCAR recently interviewed the Director of Ford Performance, Dave Pericak, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed about the next GT. The EcoBoost-ed beast will be made of a great deal of carbon fiber, thanks to Ford’s partnership with DowAksa. The two companies are working together to discover new production methods for the lightweight material and ways of reducing the costs of generating it. That way, less expensive Ford cars of the future might possibly incorporate carbon fiber for enhanced performance and greater fuel economy.
The lessons in aerodynamics Ford will learn from the GT will also potentially benefit Blue Oval models down the road. Ford’s successful use of a race-ready 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine in IMSA races has probably yielded plenty of information about how to improve the durability of Ford’s beloved power plants.
I’m sure the V6 in the next Ford Raptor, another Ford Performance product, will give the automaker plenty of insight into how to make its turbocharged truck engines – and the upcoming 10-speed automatic – even better, more robust performers.
Source: Ford-Trucks
