Ford unveiled the final track-only variant of the third-generation GT, which is claimed to offer the highest level of performance and handling compared to all of its predecessors, thanks to tweaked underpinnings and improved aerodynamics. The 2023 Ford GT Mk IV will be produced in a limited number of 67 units by Multimatic, as a nod to the original Mk IV racecar that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967. Starting with the exterior, the 2023 Ford GT Mk IV is instantly recognizable as a GT but features a fully redesigned carbon fiber body with a longer wheelbase and a long-tail configuration. The largest portion of the LED headlights is body-colored, the lower nose has NACA-style vents, the wider fenders allow more room for cooling intakes, the alloy wheels have aerodynamic covers, and the aero components are a lot more prominent than in previous iterations.
Another cool feature is the semi-exposed
front wheels on the profile, thanks to the cut-out on the vented front fenders.
At the back, the fixed rear wing with redesigned profiles and the dual
tailpipes are not as large as in the 2019 Ford GT Mk II, but remain
eye-catching features alongside the vented engine cover, the race-spec
diffuser, and the stretched rear bumper that is covering the sides of the LED
taillights. Under the eye-catching exterior, there is a tuned version of the
twin-turbo Ecoboost engine with a larger displacement. The mill is expected to
produce more than 800 hp, free from any restrictions associated
with the road-legal status. Power is transmitted to the rear axle through a
“proper racing gearbox”. Ford didn’t provide any acceleration figures but Larry
Holt, executive vice president of the Multimatic Special Vehicle Operations
Group promised an “unprecedented level of performance”. Besides the longer
wheelbase, the more powerful engine, and the reworked aerodynamics, the GT Mk
IV has a unique chassis setup, including Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve
(ASV) suspension.
Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance
Motorsports, described the Ford GT Mk IV as “the ultimate sendoff of the
third-generation supercar”. The most extreme track-only Ford GT ever is already
available to order from the official website, with a starting price “projected
in the US$ 1.7 million range” before taxes, title, and registration fees. Each of
the 63 selected owners will get a confirmation in the first quarter of 2023,
before deliveries start in late spring. Multimatic will be responsible for
production, sales, and servicing of the limited-production hypercar that will
be manufactured in its Markham, Ontario plant. Mind you, production of the
road-going Ford GT will wrap up by the end of this year with the 2022 Ford GT
LM.
Ford also remembered the original GT Mk IV
from 1967 which served as the source of inspiration for the new track-only
hypercar. The classic racecar that took home the title in the 1967 Le Mans was
heavily reworked compared to the Mk II that triumphed with a 1-2-3- finish in
the 1966 Le Mans. It sat on a lightweight chassis with adhesive-bonded
honeycombed aluminum construction, featuring a 427 Ford V8 engine, a transaxle
with an independent cooling system, and a fully redesigned body with greater
aerodynamics measuring 9 inches longer compared to its predecessors.