Since Ford introduced its awesome GT40 racing car in the mid-1960s, it has been one of the most sought-after cars in the world. For decades, people have tried to reproduce an incredibly different authority. And today, real GT40s are sold anywhere from about $ 300,000 for a typical example - to $ 2.5 million recently paid for the GT40 prototype.
Given this, it is not surprising that Ford bounced back into a superpowerful mid-power game, offering its GT40 successor, the GT, for 2005. This new version is by far the wildest, fastest production car ever offered by Ford.
So does he like to ride? Let's stop.
Avoid the curved upper part of the skull with the skull, sitting down in a cabin with a high waist GT, quite simply and simply enough. The seats have a pleasant round shape, with a comfortable matching batten on the back. The room for legs and feet is surprisingly good for such a bulbous car - even six feet or maybe taller, it will become quite habitable. A visual celebration of focused black upholstery, chrome and brushed aluminum, accented with switches designed to look like completely functional toggle switches of the original GT40, unfolds before the driver.
It's great. The car entertains before you even start it.
And this visual fever is not limited to the cabin. Superbly polished 550-hp. The supercharged V8 is clearly visible through the rear window, sitting two inches from the driver’s head. Pressing the big red start button above the center console revives the engine, playing a symphony that sounds like a combination of a basic high-performance V8 car and an Italian Ford supercar adorned with an outstanding howl supercharger.
Surprisingly, such an exotic car, like the Mustang, can even be a little easier. Without requiring special equipment, the car becomes non-stop without shaking. At this stage, he begins to establish that this versatile supercar is remarkably user friendly - beloved.
However, daily driving in a GT won't be like a ride in a Honda Civic. Parking talks require drivers to constantly stretch and fasten around their necks to see past thick window pads and flapping wings. And right behind the car? Forget it. If it does not appear in the rearview mirrors, it’s not in the Ford GT driver.
But does anybody who drives this exciting car really care about such worldly cavils? It is doubtful.
Preparing to run on the front of the Road America Racetrack, I facilitate the grip at a speed of 2500 revolutions per minute or so, then gently roll into the throttle. Since I had never driven this car, it was easy for me. Or at least I thought it was easy for me.
Nope Despite these good intentions, I practically boil the rear tires into sticky mucus. Faced with a 500 lb-ft torque at just 3750 rpm, GT rubber tires with frightening ease — burnout happened with such incredible ease that it looked like a video game. When we return to the territory, we quickly blur the bright pace and reach the first stage in a nice clip. From there we descend the mountain to turn three / four, and then we go to the gas for what GT asked for - a long, open Moraine Sweep. Acceleration is intoxicating. With feverish boredom and a deep roar, the car comfortably moves up to 130 miles per hour. It is easy for many.
At the end of the straight, large brakes push us with soothing authority, which is facilitated by light pedal modulation. A quick flick of the right leg proves that a slanting transmission on heels and legs should be exquisitely simple in a GT. Then we go back to gas. GT flies through the bend with a stunning grip and practically no body.
After this, there is a straight uphill short, another sharp turn, then another. The GT steering is weighed a bit lighter than you would expect for a serious car with performance, but that's good. Most importantly, he communicates well. This is not surprising - almost all that concerns the GT, inspires confidence. A few minutes after you hit the car, you feel ready to go quickly. It is easy to manage any standards, and even more so - the expectations of supermobiles.
But, turning my attention to thinking about this notification, the rear end cars of the car go at about 70 mph. Clap! Fortunately, we were not in a state of no return, and I quickly recovered from the movement of the steering wheel. However, the tail swing boosters provide an important reminder that this is a serious, hardcore machine, no matter how friendly its overall behavior.
As we make our way through another long open area and around the dense Canadian corner, we are approaching the end of our designed circle. A few more turns follow, and we slowly return the GT to the pits. After I closed the car, my big giddy grin remains. As a journalist, I was as scared as everyone else. But it is not to insist on GT. My day is done.
I just came across true greatness, and I know it.
