sponsored by Ford: to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ford GT40’s legendary win at the 24 hours of le mans race in 1966, the american automotive company has completely re-designed and re-engineered the race car, merging the considerations typically seen in race car development, with those of production car development. the result? a vehicle that has been simultaneously conceived as a race car and a road car.
view of the all-new Ford GT‘s multi-functional buttress
realized almost entirely on the computer, the race car draws its modern, streamlined aesthetic from the new Ford GT supercar—Ford’s most advanced production vehicle. made almost entirely of carbon fiber, it proves to be extremely durable and lightweight, while aluminium structures minimize the weight of the high-strength subframes. its aerodynamics can be attributed to the design of sculptural tunnels and multifunctional buttresses, with the shell’s teardrop shape minimizing drag and maximizing downforce. in addition, the exhaust—an iconic design element—has been incorporated into the midsection of the bodywork to optimize diffuser performance on the Ford GT‘s underside, while maintaining airflow over the top of the body. the Ford team’s decision to render the GT in carbon fiber was an exercise in exploring how they could potentially use the material at a reduced cost so that it could also be applied to other vehicles in the Ford line-up.
detail of the high-strength subframes
the dynamic race car is powered by Ford’s ecoboost engine which is a turbocharged, direct injection gasoline engine. more specifically, the new Ford GT is charged by Ford’s 3.5L ecoboost V6 engine, quite an anomaly, as V6 engines are typically used in mainstream road vehicles, rather than for racing.
the vehicle’s lightweight presence can be attributed to hits primarily carbon fiber body
designed to deliver pure performance, the supercar stands as an example of what the Ford team could do with the rest of the Ford line-up, and is set to showcase its capabilities at the 24 hours of le mans race 2016.
the all-new Ford GT40 is set to hit the 2016 24 hours of le mans race
follow Ford’s journey—from making the decision to participate in the 2016 24 hours of le mans race, to designing the all-new supercar, to preparing for the big race in their five episode discorsories that can bee seen on the Ford performance youtube channel.
