Matthew DeBord/BI
- We finally got to drive Ford's epic, Le Mans-winning supercar in 2017.
- The stylish, powerful, innovative GT didn't disappoint.
- It now joins the pantheon of incredible Ford vehicles — and rises to the top.
Last week, Business Insider named its 2017 Car of the Year: the Porsche Panamera.
A few cars we truly loved in 2017 weren't eligible for the award because they weren't driven by at least two of our reviewers. One of these was the Ford GT, a $400,000-plus supercar that Ford debuted at the Detroit auto show in 2015 and that went immediately into simultaneous development as a race car and a road car. Why? So it could contend for the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans crown — taking a shot at winning the legendary endurance race 50 years after Ford has finished 1-2-3 with the original GT.
I wrote a book about the car and followed the 2016 racing season, with Ford defying the odds and capturing the Le Mans win. I also got a chance to drive the road car when Ford first rolled it out for the media. I was the only member of our Transportation team to get behind the wheel, and with only 250 cars to be made over the next four years, there aren't likely to be many loaners going out the press.
In my review of the new GT, I said it was the best car Ford has ever built, and I didn't hold back the props: "Beautiful. Fast. A joy to drive. Technologically advanced. Staggeringly expensive. Exclusive. And the winner of the toughest race in the world."
I added: "Ford didn't simply outdo itself with the GT. It set a standard of excellence that it might never beat."
The Ford GT lingers in my imagination, so even though it couldn't be Car of the Year, I haven't forgotten it. Quite the opposite. Here's why.
At Utah Motorsports, Ford showcased the new GT, the Le Mans race car, and the original GT40 from 1966. The old legend had been brought in from a collection in Colorado — it doesn't get out much.FordWe had already checked out the GT on several occasions. Here it is in all its shimmering blue glory at Classic Car Club in Manhattan. That was where we first pushed the start button and fired up the 647-horsepower, 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine.Hollis Johnson
Four GT race cars took to the Le Mans circuit in 2016, seeking to repeat history. In 1966, Ford finished 1-2-3 and ended Ferrari's reign at Le Mans. In 2016, the result was 1-3-4, with Ferrari taking second in the racing class.Ford
I wrote a book about the new GT, Ford's comeback from the financial crisis, and the Le Mans campaign, so I already has a connection to the machine.Grove Atlantic
But it was still exhilarating to get behind the wheel. I'm in the red car with the white racing stripes.Ford
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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