Ford Motor Co. celebrated the beginning of production and delivery of the highly anticipated Ford GT supercar in Ontario, Canada.
The $450,000 plus car has gained lots of attention since its introduction at the 2015 North American International Auto Show.
“This is really a celebration more than anything; it’s a celebration for all the people that design and develop and are now building the Ford GT as a showcase for us as a company,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, global product development, and chief technical officer. His comments came during an employee and media event Friday at the GT production facility in Markham, Ontario.
Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and CEO and Chairman Mark Fields will be the first two to take delivery as their corporate Xmas present.
Is there enough interest in the general public to build such a car? The Dearborn automaker received about 6,500 online applications for the first 500 GTs that will be produced as 2017 and 2018 model year cars.
The high demand caused the automaker to extend production through the 2020 model year. The first three model years are already sold out, while ordering for the fourth will open in early 2018. Production is capped at 250 cars per year.
Ford implemented a rigorous vetting process that included previous GT ownership, activity on social media and a legal document stating the new owner won’t sell the vehicle for a certain amount of time to help prevent buyers from flipping them quickly for a profit.
The GT is powered by a 3.5 liter V-6 Eco Boost engine. It is the same basic engine that debuted in Ford’s Taurus SHO and is under the bonnet of the 2015 F-150 pickup, but the GT engine has custom pistons, rods, turbos and cams that help it get more than 600 horsepower. The GT includes a number of weight saving areas, including a carbon-fiber tub and a gorilla-glass windshield that is 12 pounds lighter than a traditional windshield.
Will we see any here? Ford has said they will make RHD models of the new Mustang, so it is possible, but to get over the red tape and duty hurdles, makes the chances of a GT trundling down Sukhumvit very unlikely.
