Making its debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of
Speed is the new Ford GT Mk II, a track-only version of the sports car, which
has been developed to deliver optimum performance without being limited by race
series rules, regulations and limitations. Developed with Multimatic, the
company that prepares the GT’s carbon-fibre chassis and suspension components,
only 45 examples of the GT Mk II will be produced, each with a starting price
of USD1.2 million.
Featuring plenty of know-how from the Le Mans-winning
GT race car, the Mk II retains the EcoBoost 3.5 litre twin-turbo V6, but
without having to conform to the FIA’s balance of performance (BoP) rulebook,
the mill has been boosted to make 700 hp. By comparison, the GT LM GTE has
around 500 hp available, while the road car offers 647 hp. Mated to the V6 is the same
Getrag seven-speed dual-clutch transmission from the road instead of the race
car’s Ricardo six-speed sequential box, albeit recalibrated for track use.
To ensure consistent performance during long days on
track, the GT Mk II comes with a high capacity air-to-air outboard mounted
charge air cooler. The cooler includes a water spray system that automatically
activates at high temperatures to ensure the V6 continues to deliver peak
performance. Additionally, that roof-mounted intake feeds fresh air to auxiliary
coolers for the engine, clutch and transmission, again for optimal cooling when
performing the most extreme track day duty.
The company also applied many of its race car’s
aerodynamic features to the Mk II, but further enhanced beyond what racing
regulations allow. The dual-element rear wing, for instance, is much larger
than what the GT LM GTE has, providing even more downforce. Elsewhere, there’s a front racing
splitter and rear diffuser, along with fender louvres (not found on the race
car) and dive planes, which help balance out the extra rear downforce.
Altogether, these aero changes enable to Mk II to
generate over 400% more downforce than a regular, road-faring GT, and with racing
suspension (including five-way adjustable DSSV shock absorbers) and bespoke
Michelin Sport GT tyres, the car pulls more than 2g of lateral grip. Beefier brakes complement these
upgrades, as the Brembo carbon ceramic discs measure 394 mm at the front and
358 mm at the rear. These are located behind unique forged aluminum 19-inch
wheels.
The interior continues the track-focused theme, with
almost all luxuries stripped out, leaving just the essentials. These include a
bespoke Sparco racing seat with a six-point racing harness (a passenger seat is
optional), MoTeC data acquisition system (linked to a reverse camera), racing
steering wheel, fire extinguisher and a full roll cage.
With not a lot inside, the Mk II is also lighter to
help aid with agility. The rather barren cabin, along with the removal of the
street car’s adjustable ride height and drive modes, provide a weight savings
of over 90 kg.
