Ford GT Competition Series Is a Lightened Track Weapon
Ford puts the new GT on a diet, using tons of carbon and exotic materials.
If the Ford GT in normal guise wasn't sporty or track-focused enough for your liking, you're in luck. Confirming our suspicions, Ford has announced the Ford GT Competition Series, a lightened, race track-inspired version of the GT supercar. Although Ford hasn't announced official numbers regarding the GT Competition Series's weight loss, it should be dramatic given the American automaker's methods—which closely resemble Porsche's—for lightening the car.
Ford says it has eliminated "items not essential to performance—including air conditioning, radio and speakers, stowage bins and cupholders." But that's just the easy stuff anyone could rip out. Ford has gone to European supercar-maker lengths to eliminate weight in other places, too, like replacing the engine hatch cover with Perspex, using a manual latch, and adding a carbon fiber prop rod. The wheels are now made from carbon fiber, and even the lug nuts are titanium—as well as the exhaust now, too. The glass in the bulkhead—which separates the cockpit and the engine bay—is now made from Gorilla Glass, which is half as thick as normal glass and lighter, too.
Raj Nair, Ford chief technical officer and executive vice president of global product development, said, "The Ford GT has racing in its blood. The Competition Series was developed with the most hardcore track enthusiasts in mind, providing a tailored set of lightweight features and unique livery to match."
If Ford's weight loss program is truly taken out of Porsche's book, don't be surprised to see a massive surcharge for the Competition Series. Hopefully we'll find out more when the GT Competition Series debuts this weekend at the Daytona 500.
