Ford GT races into history

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

The new Ford GT has become the company's first production road car to achieve a top speed of more than 321km/h (200mph) when it reached a certified 330km/h (205mph) during tests at Italy's Nardo circuit this week.

John Coletti, director of Ford Special Vehicles Team programmes, said: "This is a major accomplishment and puts the Ford GT among the ranks of the greatest sports cars in history."

Ford made comparisons with the ground-breaking performance at Le Mans 38 years ago of the GT40, the race car that inspired the GT.

In 1966, a GT40 reached 323km/h (201mph) on the Mulsanne Straight, the first car to break the 200mph barrier in the 24-hour race.

Ford went to Nardo to test the new GT's high-speed stability and the durability of its supercharged 5.4-litre V8 engine.

High-speed stability had been a concern since the team first tested an original GT40 in the wind tunnel.

The GT40 lifted at high speeds and the SVT team believed the GT would have the same problem. So it made aerodynamic modifications, mostly to the underside. A subtle rear spoiler extension and front and side splitters are the only visible changes.

"Driving the Ford GT at speeds above 200mph was remarkably uneventful, which is a very positive outcome," said Mark McGowan, Ford GT vehicle dynamics supervisor and Nardo test driver.

"I was able to drive around the 13km track with my foot to the floor with complete confidence in the stability and control of the car at 200mph plus. My only limitation was the amount of fuel in the tank."

The 410kW (550bhp) engine had to complete 800km at, or near, maximum speeds. Production of the GT will begin in the United States next month.