The nose draws to a point. It’s an arrow. The tail tapers like the business end of rifle ammo. It squares up, impossibly mean in its stance.
The 2017 Ford GT sets the newest benchmark for things that look fast while standing still.
Lots of street cars ape track machines. Ford developed its striking two-seater along with the star-spangled weapons that scored first-, third-, and fourth-class finishes at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s armed to the hilt with race-ready gear, from its carbon-fiber chassis to its trick inboard suspension.
And yes, it can hit 216 mph, thank you very much.
Doors up, body down
Before we dive into the gorgeous details, let’s call out the elephant in the room. The GT’s 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V-6 swims upstream against the droolworthy 8-, 10- and 12-cylinder exotica from Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Does cylinder count limit Ford’s flagship to an almost-there contender, a latter-day Lotus Esprit? Or does it defy the limitations and warrant fully stratospheric supercar status?
We spent a day behind the wheel at Utah Motorsports Campus and surrounding roads to unravel the mystery. Let’s just get this out of the way right now: you’re welcome.
