Road and Track

[Ron Earp]

R&T claims the first real road test of the new Ford GT in the Dec 2003 issue. It is a pretty good issue with some coverage of the new car and some info on the real GT40 as well. Alas, weights are still estimated so no closure on that but they're estimated at 3570lbs. So, let's get the weight debat back up shall we?

Ran a 12.2 at 121.6 in the quarter (just looking at straight line stats since I can't drive it on a road course and neither did they) - unimpressive for the money if you ask me but I'll take up the "Why Won't Roy's Car Run Sub-12s When Bubba's [censored] Box Will" in an coming thread.

Best,
Ron

 

Hi Guys,
I just got to see the new Ford "LEGENDS" broshure for 2004. Ford is pushing back the new GT to the spring of 2005.
It must taking longer to develop than they originally thought.
Joe

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

So the guy who paid $550K for the first one- when it arrives- won't get his car til 2005? Imagine that....my choice to build an original style car is looking better and better to me. Not to mention how the car looks, better an better. Anyway, the successful bidder was a Mircosoft billionaire, so he can afford it. Me, I would just like to have the interest on what the car will cost him.

 

Actually the guy who bid $550K was Jay Leno not Bill Gates of Microsoft. Still a long wait! Makes it better for all other manufactures I think. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

Do we know how reliable that info is?

Autoweek - this week's version - has the Ford GT on the cover and still talks about a spring 2004 release. Maybe the "model year" will be 2005...

As excited as the press seems to be about this car, I would have thought a years delay would get some real ink in the car mags.

 

Back at you,
The Ford brochure said " available in the spring of 2005 ". What does that mean?
Joe

 

Sorry Joe, I certainly don't mean you personally any disrespect. I see we're both pretty new here and I don't mean to be starting anything.

I've been collecting all the Ford GT stuff I can find. Any chance you could point me at where I could get a copy?

All I meant was that we've all seen funny business in model year designations versus when a vehicle is sold. I just bought a 2004 F150.

Since none of these cars are available yet, nothing about them is certain...

I would opine that the raft of articles in half a dozen car rags and the piece on the BBC all suggest actual deliveries are imminient - like spring 2004. And that's good news for me, a dealer's already played with my deposit money for 18 months.

Given the slide in real on-the-road performance numbers and all the weight the car has put on (relative to speculated numbers when announced in Feb 02), maybe a years delay is warranted. I just don't see it happening. My opinion only...

 

The spring 2005 in the Ford brochure must be an error. There have been no reports of a delay past spring 2004. The cars are basically production ready with a few 'tweaks' still to be made. The is from every source I could find.

 

Jo & Jon,
I'll try to get ahold of that brochure again and I will scan it in and you can correct me if I misunderstood what is written. By the way no afence was taken. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Joe /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Mark Worthington]

FWIW, Ford has only managed to produce the Mustang Cobra in odd number years sice 1999. In 2000 they were too busy working the bugs out of the '99 Cobra IRS and underpowered 32 v engine. In 2002 they were too busy gearing up for the blown 2003 Cobra.

If Ford has that much trouble keeping a production line in Dearborn going, then it's no surprise to me that they need to delay the production of the GT44, which is a highly specialized, hand-built car.

The good news here is that I have a respectable chance of getting my car on the road before Ford does. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

Joseph,

I hate to say it, but I now believe you may be much more on target than me!

Had a long talk with my dealer this morning (they have a long history with Neil Heinneman (sp?) back in his Viper days) and while they wouldn't / couldn't confirm anything, news was not good...

I was told first real customer cars will be model year 2005 and a number of unidentified production problems suggest spring 2004 deliveries are completely out of the question.

Still no word on "list" prices or colors... And given the limited run, only real inside insiders (not me and I've bought several Vipers / trucks from these folks) will get a car at "list" - whatever that turns out to be.

 

[Ian K]

Yep, everything I have seen recently points to a 2005
release. But, early 2005 would technically make it
a 2005 1/2 - and they did that with the original Mustang
40 years ago ...

(edit - goofed on the model year!)

Also, the latest Car and Driver (Nov '03) calls its article -
"Preview 2005 Ford GT, Chapter 3".

Some other stats mentioned -

curb weight - 3400 lbs. Not estimated, but how often it a weight
so round! Must be an estimate.

Estimated price $150K US (dealer markups will abound - look
at the Cadillac XLR - MSRP $76K, seen it as high as $99K).

0 - 60 mph 3.8 sec
0 - 100 mph 8.6 sec
1/4 mile 11.8 sec @ 123 mph
(all estimated)

Some finish problems - the RHS mirror is invisible to
the driver. A piece of aluminum door trim bites into the
driver's leg. Shifting is still having problems. Door
seals provide too much wind noise. Ford plans on getting
these things taken care of.

There is an emergency trunk release in the front.
Obviously there for some sort of Fed regulation as
there is no room for a child beyond small infant to
get trapped in there (maybe a pet monkey I suppose).

Some other coolness - apparently, FoMoCo engineers
put a real 1968 GT40 in a wind tunnel while developing
the GT. Some numbers and quotes:

0.43 Cd
"Front-end lift at high speeds was in the aircraft realm:
The car wanted to fly".
"The tunnel data gave me new respect for Gurney and Foyt
and all those guys going flat-out on the Mulsanne straight.
Wow." - Kent Harrison, GT development supervisor.

Ian

 

AutoWeek, 17 November issue, is calling the GT a 2005. Nice article, nice cover photo.