Ford Unveils GT Mk. II Track-Only Supercar - Sportscar365

Photo: Ford

Ford has revealed an aggressive track-only supercar, the Ford GT Mk.II, which is inspired by the U.S. manufacturer’s Le Mans class-winning GTE machine.

Unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday, the Multimatic-built car is an upgraded version of the original GT road model launched in 2015, with added design cues from the racing version.

Multimatic chief technical officer Larry Holt explained that the car is a vision of what the Ford GT racer would be like without the FIA’s Balance of Performance restrictions.

It is powered by an upgraded version of the GT’s standard 3.5-liter twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 engine that produces a stated additional 200 horsepower from the race car’s output.

The front splitter has been extended beyond the 1150 mm limit imposed by the GTE rulebook, while louvered front wheel arches and a dual-element rear wing have been added to create extra downforce.

Ford has also enlarged the air scoop on the roof of the car to generate a more powerful cooling system for the engine and transmission.

“This car comes from the dream of a racing car without Balance of Performance,” said Holt.

“The road car version of the GT is around 650 hp, but at Le Mans this year we raced at 495 hp. The rear wing size and the wheel arch louvres are mandated.

“The idea here is showing what we can create from the GT platform that will ultimately show its greater performance, not burdened by the rules of racing and the rules of the road car.”

Holt added that the Ford GT Mk.II directly borrows some elements of the race machine, such as the front splitter, as well as a “next-generation” underwing.

“The front fender splitter and the underwing are almost exactly the same as the racing car,” he said.

“Two years into the program we had an evo project where we could develop the car to the next level. We worked on it, we got a package that would give us better performance, but in the end, we didn’t do it because the BoP would have taken away the advantage.

“So we developed a next-gen underwing, and this car has that next-generation.”

Ford has announced a starting price of $1.2 million, while a total of 45 cars will be built for customers.

Holt said the batch will be built “up to stage four” at the main Ford GT plant in Markham, Ontario, before being fine-tuned at Multimatic’s nearby race shop.

He suggested that the Mk.II is intended to showcase for the Ford GT’s technology and potential, rather than the basis for a future competition model.

During its time with the factory Ford operation, the car scooped a total of 16 race wins across the FIA World Endurance and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championships, including two Daytona wins and one Le Mans victory in 2016.

Images: Ford

Daniel Lloyd is a UK-based reporter for Sportscar365 and e-racing365, with a focus on the FIA World Endurance Championship and various electric racing series.