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The mid-2000s was a time when the automotive scene was lighting up with high-capacity multi-cylinder beasts. Bugatti brought the 1,000 horsepower Veyron, BMW plunked a fearsome V10 into the 5-series, and AMG was all about burning rubber.
At the center of it all is the revival of an American icon—the Ford GT40. The blue oval bomb dropped when they introduced the new GT at the Detroit auto show in 2002. Everyone loved one, and reviewers had nothing but positive things to say about it. That’s despite Jeremy Clarkson’s terrifying Ford GT experience.
The Ford GT is, without a doubt, a motoring icon, and a massive supercar capable of hitting speeds in excess of 200 mph. However, there aren’t many roads that allow anyone to go over 100 mph, let alone 200. But in Germany, you can—provided you’re on the Autobahn.
Auto TopNL, known for using the Autobahn to its fullest, entertained us very well by clocking 200 mph on the speedometer of a 2006 Ford GT. We can only imagine the thrills the YouTuber must have experienced, and would do the same if given the chance.
2006 Ford GT Hits 200 MPH On Autobahn
It is quite rare to witness the Ford GT on European roads. From the video, you can see the car is an import, brought from the United States. Ford allocated only 1,000 units to Europe out of 4,000 odd cars produced in total. Clearly, the Ford GT is a rare car; even rarer on European plates, with very few driven as strongly as this one.
Auto TopNL continues with a brief car review, discussing the specifics of the particular Ford GT he has. He describes it as a rental and praises the business for being among the few to offer one, considering its iconic status and limited availability.
The Ford GT in question features an aftermarket exhaust and sits on new wheels. He also pointed out that the car runs a Whipple supercharger instead of the stock Eaton unit, indicating a potentially high horsepower rating. It’s black on silver spec, with stock BBS rims. The car also uses an aftermarket rear diffuser, which is quite aggressive in appearance. Maybe not to our taste, we’ll say.
You can probably tell by his expressions, the man is thoroughly enjoying the car. In the video, the GT can be seen running in both directions, showing no sign of hesitation. It’s also worth pointing out the car’s stability and handling prowess when sitting at such speed, highlighting the level of engineering that went into the supercar. Unlike its muscle car siblings, the Ford GT screams American in a different but unique way.
Let’s Meet The Ford GT And Talk About A Little History
Ford and Caroll Shelby gave thrill-seekers the thrill of their lives when three Ford GT40s crossed the finish line at Le Mans in 1966. The partnership yielded a remarkable result, and Ford demonstrated their prowess on the racetrack, much to the dismay of veteran Ferrari. Fast-forward a few decades, and Ford decided to adopt the Le Mans-winning GT moniker. Channeling the same energy, Ford unveiled the GT40 concept in 2002. Although both cars are visually related, structurally, there’s nothing in common between the new GT and the ’60s GT40 that inspired it.
In terms of design, the Ford GT—though no example of automotive porn—shows its purposeful appearance as if it were standing at 100 mph. The design is striking but not outlandish, unlike a Lamborghini. It is undoubtedly a sports car. However, the smooth lines and rounded edges give the GT a classy and unobtrusive look.
As for the engine, the Ford GT uses a supercharged 550 horsepower long-stroke all-American V8. The 5.4L unit is located in a mid-engined layout, giving the supercar excellent handling characteristics similar to Lamborghinis and Ferraris. What makes the GT special is how involving it is to drive. Available torque (500 lb-ft) is sent through a 6-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels only.
It’s not as forgiving as the original GT40, which is a good thing. The Ford GT, per Auto TopNL, is full of character. You know you’re driving something special, and it rewards you depending on how skilled you are.
Sliding with the torquey V8, rowing through the gears, burning rubber at every intersection…these are the things that make the Ford GT an experience. But equally exciting is its ability to be a complete road vehicle, a mile muncher if you ignore the lack of storage space. Sure, it’s not as refined as a Ferrari or as impressive as a Lamborghini, but that’s what makes the Ford GT unique. No wonder the car is in high demand.
While the driver was on an unrestricted section of the German Autobahn, we cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to drive at that speed on public roads where other road users are present. We encourage our readers to always drive safely and responsibly.
Sources: YouTube/AutoTopNL
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