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The personal car of Moray Callum, Ford Motor Company's VP of
Design
204 miles - As-new condition?
Liquid Red Metallic paint with Re-Entry interior?
24 Hours of Le Mans-proven 647hp 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 engine
7-speed dual clutch transmission
Designed from a blank slate to win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The automotive world is filled with car designs, all vying for the
next winning idea that will grab the headlines and the public's
hearts. While it is not unusual for companies to take the "safe"
route with new designs, implementing current trends and features
often trickling down from more expensive models, this often leads
to a case of normalcy amongst many models. The last thing you want
a halo car to be is feeling redundant of its past, hardly changing,
or not pushing the envelope in some way. Ford Motor Company, known
for their 24 Hours of Le Mans- dominating Ford GT40s of the 60s,
was determined to make a return to the legendary race in France.
What started as a discussion of "what ifs" turned into a full-blown
program that yielded one of the most advanced and futuristic road
cars available today: The Ford GT.
Moray Callum, Ford's VP of Design and leader of the Ford GT design
team, recalled the beginnings of the program in 2013. Having been
at Ford since 2006 as the Executive Director of Design for the
Americas, Ford wasted no time in appointing Callum to lead the
design team for the Ford GT in January of 2014. He recalled that
the program didn't begin with the idea of the return of the
legendary Ford GT name, but instead centered on bringing a Ford
Mustang-based GT to Le Mans.
Discussions commenced that talked about how highly modified the car
would end up being and going up against Corvettes, remaining
extremely secretive the entire time. Ford approached Multimatic,
the well-known automotive outfit that supplies engineering
components, systems and services to automakers around the world,
particularly in motorsport. After different concepts were circling
around, it was decided that the program could build a brand-new car
from a fresh slate for just a little more money. Ford would be in
charge of the exterior and interior design, and Multimatic would be
responsible for the engineering and building of the new halo super
car.
The GT program was the pinnacle of secrecy, with only the top brass
of Ford and very few individuals privileged enough outside of the
Ford Design team to know the inner workings of the project. The 8
or so original designers were shuttled into an empty storage room
in the basement of Ford's Dearborn facility, with even the key
cards to the room remaining unmarked to allude suspicion. Starting
with clay models, evolving into digital surfacing and digital
engineering, the designs progressed at a staggering pace. The
design team worked tirelessly and creatively to conjure up a
winning design, eventually evolving into what you see today: a
carbon-fiber bodied monster, with proportions and designs like a
spaceship with the performance to match. Multimatic was busy at
work optimizing their engineering, with Ford's intent laser
focused: to return and win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Two years later, after countless nights and long hours to bring the
dream to life, 2015 arrives. PR releases, automotive car shows, and
a special race-car video reveal start to come alive. The concept
Ford GT was revealed at the North American International Car Show,
with production slated to begin in 2016. The automotive community
was astounded. In a world were autonomous driving and more
civilized design were becoming the norm, Ford dropped the mic with
their new car. Focusing on the aerodynamics of the new car, it
shared a surprisingly large amount with the new racecar to produce
downforce. The striking design, especially the "teardrop" center
section, was hailed as ground-breaking and extremely brave. The
twin- turbocharged V6 engine with 647 horsepower provided engineers
with plenty of flexibility in design, where aerodynamics and the
focus on winning was paramount.
Other features about the Ford GT made it unique to street cars,
sharing racing-car engineering that carried over from track cars.
Pushrod suspension that is adjustable from inside the cabin is
standard, and due to Multimatic's design provides a clever use of
its modes to adjust dampening. The chassis is comprised of a
carbon-fiber monocoque with aluminum front and rear subframes, with
the entire body shrouded in carbon-fiber panels. Getrag was
approached to make a special 7-speed dual clutch transmission.
You'd expect that the sum of all parts would equal staggering
performance, and you'd be right. With 0-60mph in 3.0 seconds, 0-
170mph in 21.4 seconds, 216 miles per hour top speed, and with a
cornering capability of 1.11 lateral g-forces, the Ford GT is a
thinly disguised race car made for the street.
Fast forward to the 2016 racing season. The Chip Ganassi Racing
team, provided with Ford factory support, takes home the
1st-in-class win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the 50th anniversary
of Ford's first 1966 famous 1-2-3 win at the French race. The Ford
pits erupt in celebration and excitement, while expecting good
results never could have imagined that on their first outing to Le
Mans since 1969 would yield a 1st-place finish. To add even more
prestige, another Ford GT finished 3rd as well to join the podium.
Ford had done it. Half a century since their first win, the Ford GT
claims another 24 Hours of Le Mans win.
Moray Callum has had his name immortalized with this new Ford GT
design, having led the design team that brought both critical and
racing acclaim to Ford. When ordering his car, he spec'd the
bodywork in the stunning Liquid Red Metallic with the contrasting
Re-Entry interior package, with the dash and seats swathed in white
leather. During his ownership, he added only 204 miles to the car,
keeping the GT in pristine condition. You would be hard pressed to
determine if it was a newly-delivered 2020 vehicle, as it is
currently in like-new condition.
The sum of all of its parts has created one of the most engaging
and rewarding driving experiences that you can have in a modern-day
road car. With an incredible amount of feedback, connectivity to
the car, and directly linked to Ford's motorsport heritage, there
is no doubt that the Ford GT is one of the most exciting cars on
the road today.
