Ford GT 2017: Reviewers thrilled by 'superb' supercar

Ford has released an all-new version of its GT this year and critics are already giving the racing-inspired supercar the thumbs-up.

The GT harks back to the company's GT40 race car, which overcame the dominant Ferrari team to win the Le Mans 24h in 1966.

In 2005, Ford launched a homage to the GT40 in the form of the GT, a production car that blends the sixties styling of the original with modern engineering.

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This year, there's a new a version that features radical styling changes designed to improve performance on the road and at racing circuits.

One of the more noticeable changes over its predecessor is the two large ducts on either side of the engine bay. These ducts channel air towards the car's electronically adjustable rear-wing to improve downforce without adding unnecessary drag – which slows the car down.

Unlike the outgoing model and the original GT40, the new GT swaps a V8 engine for a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost unit. The motor produces 638bhp, which helps the supercar reach a top speed of 216mph.

It's the most powerful and advanced GT Ford has ever made, but is it enough to make it the best supercar on the market?

Here's what the reviewers are saying:

Reviews

The new Ford GT "feels incredibly alive beneath your backside" the moment you drive just a few feet in it, says Evo. The driver's seat is fixed directly to the chassis in a similar fashion to the LaFerrari, where the pedals and wheel move towards the driver using electronics.

The GT's EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 engine produces a noise and sense of acceleration that is "deeply racing car in its feel and delivery", adds the magazine. The car is "angry" and "not especially pleasant" at low revs, but beyond 2,500rpm it's "utterly dramatic".

Inside, Autocar says the GT's interior plastics are "too shonky for a Ford city car, let alone a luxury grand tourer". Road and engine noise do enter into the cockpit, but the ride is "astonishingly comfortable".

But racing car attitude is missing and these are the core ingredients of an "entertaining road car" or road-going racer, says the magazine. The GT "doesn't feed back loads of road feel and nor does it gain much extra weight as you push into corners", unlike other cars in the supercar sector.

Nevertheless, the magazine says the Ford GT is "pretty damned good on the road, absolutely superb on a track and immensely desirable while coming from people who usually bring you superminis".

"It's a race car that's become a road car," says Car, reporting the GT was designed to enter the top-tier road-based class at the Le Mans 24h.

It adds that the cabin is "tight" and difficult to get into due to Ford designing the car to have the "smallest frontal area in its class to reduce drag". There's little headroom as well and the seats are placed close together, continues the review, so driver and passenger will find themselves rubbing arms.

While Ford hasn't revealed acceleration figures, the Daily Telegraph gives a zero-to-62mph of less than three seconds, rivalling many of today's most extreme hypercars.

It also says the ride quality "isn't bad", while hydraulics control the steering and aerodynamics. The suspension is also hydraulically controlled and can be lowered to a ride height that "isn't far off the minimal ground clearance of the race car".

Throttle inputs are precise and allow drivers to "finesse" the car's handling when on a circuit, adds the paper, although it warns: "It'll take a bit of muscling round a turn."

Price and Release

Orders for the new Ford GT are now open with prices starting at £450,000, but CarBuyer says potential buyers may find it difficult to get on the waiting list.

Ford GT buyers to plead for car on YouTube

14 April

Five hundred examples of the new Ford GT are expected to be in action by the end of the year, but potential owners will have to successfully answer a Q&A on the company's online configurator to get one.

While many will use the configurator to whittle away time daydreaming of which of the 5,000 possible combinations they would use to spec out the car, genuine buyers will have to hope for the best as they answer the vital questions from which the company will choose its customers.

Those who make it through the "online cull" - as Top Gear puts it - will then stump up around £400,000 to take ownership of the 600bhp, 3.5-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 supercar, a figure made impressive by the fact it eclipses the racing version of the GT set to take part in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

So what does Ford want to know about its prospective customers? Road & Track says some of the questions are pretty standard, but there are one or two surprises.

After providing basic identity details, would-be owners have to provide evidence of engagement with the brand, such as ownership of the last GT – or, indeed, any "Ford vehicle" - or being a motorsport enthusiast with a passion for Ford.

While this is nothing out of the ordinary, with Ferrari doing similar things for its halo models, the questionnaire also includes a box labelled: "I consider myself as an influencer of public opinion."

Ford wants buyers to have as many blogs, followers, and online profiles as possible, says Bloomberg, and even asks for specifics on "your audience demographics". A step at the end of the application allows prospective owners to post a 60-second video on YouTube saying why they would be "a good Ford GT owner".

Giving fans the chance to express themselves is a "blue-collar" approach to sharing out limited-demand supercars in comparison to the "blue-blood" methods of Ferrari – although owners of the last GT will still get first dibs.

Those who intend to drive their new GT hard will also get bumped up the list - Ford asks for a racing licence, as well as evidence of club memberships.

The questions go on, with opportunities for buyers to name the collectable Fords in their garages, say whether they use Ford vehicles at work and if they've taken part in any "vehicle-related charitable activities". They must also sign a contract agreeing not to sell the car soon after taking delivery.

Successful applicants will be contacted by Ford's concierge service and taken on to fully spec their car.

Applications close on 12 May, but Autocar has flagged up two "special editions" of the car which have "coming soon" listed alongside them on Ford's website.

The magazine says these should be a special launch edition and a model to celebrate Ford's racing history. It's unknown how to buy either, as they will be very strictly limited in numbers and will probably command a high premium over the standard GT.