As if the Ford GT isn’t awesome enough in its own right, Ford is adding to the supercar’s appeal with the launch of a new Heritage Edition showcase, one where the GT gets dressed up in the iconic light blue and orange Gulf Oil livery. The new Heritage Edition model is a fitting follow-up to the red Ford GT Heritage Edition that Ford introduced earlier this month. The Gulf Oil livery isn’t the only unique feature of this new special edition GT; it also comes with a number of exclusive touches, all added to ensure that this special edition model upholds the exclusivity attached to the Gulf Oil livery.

Update 1/29/2019: We've updated this review with images we took at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. Enjoy!

Exterior

There’s nothing better than seeing a supercar like the Ford GT get a special edition treatment with arguably motor racing’s most famous livery as its biggest selling point. Not only does it bring back the nostalgia of Ford’s stunning victories at the 1968 and 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours, but it does so with the supercar dressed in the legendary light blue and orange colors of Gulf Oil. For those who don’t know, the GT40 race cars Ford used in its two-year Le Mans dominance were also dressed in the Gulf Oil livery.

Fifty years later, Ford’s offering a trip down memory lane with a special edition GT supercar wearing the same colors as the race cars that conquered Le Mans against what were thought to be insurmountable odds. The nostalgia behind those Le Mans victories isn’t lost on anyone, least of all Ford itself. “Many view the Gulf Oil paint scheme as the most famous in motorsports,” Ford’s president of global operations, Joe Hinrichs, said in a statement. “The 1968 GT40 quickly became a global sensation after beating its European competitors on the track four times in a row, and in honor of the 50th anniversary of its win, we’re paying fresh tribute to the original with a new heritage limited edition.”

This is a special edition model done right, folks. Even better, the exclusive touches don’t end with the Gulf Oil livery. The Ford GT Heritage Edition also features exposed carbon fiber A-pillars. That’s a completely modern touch considering that carbon fiber wasn’t invented yet 50 years ago. The overall look of the exterior speaks for itself. There’s no point expounding on it, really.

Interior

The interior is another matter entirely. Ford dressed up the GT Heritage Edition’s cabin with splashes of retro goodness spread throughout the spaces. The seats, instrument panel, pillars, headliner, and even the steering wheel are covered in Ebony Alcantara. . Ford even worked on something as minuscule as the upholstery pattern on the seats, proving that no detail is too small for a car that wears such an iconic livery. A few trim pieces were also thrown in for good measure. The paddle shifters, for example, are anodized. The instrument panel, door bezels, and x-brace all wear high-gloss dark stainless steel finishes. And then there’s the carbon fiber, which you can see adorning the door sills, air vents, and center console.

Drivetrain

There are no powertrain upgrades to speak, but that doesn’t matter. When you have a car with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine that produces 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of scream-inducing torque. The power figures allow the supercar to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about three seconds before it peaks at a top speed of 216 mph.

Further Details

Even though Ford hasn’t said how many units of this particular Ford GT Heritage Edition it plans to build, each unit that rolls out of the company’s Multimatic production facility in Ontario, Canada will come with a unique identification plate that shows the car’s serial number. There's enough, too, for fans of the Ford GT who can afford it. The “9” is a nod to the Ford GT40’s car number when it won the 1968 Le Mans 24 Hours. If you prefer the No. 6 graphics in the same places, you can wait for the 2020MY of the same model. It’s fitting because that model will arrive in 2019, the 50th anniversary of Ford’s 1969 Le Mans triumph with the GT40 wearing, you guessed it, the No. 6 car number.

Pricing details haven't been released, but don’t expect the Ford GT Heritage Edition to sell for anything less than the $450,000 Ford is asking for a standard model. Perhaps somewhere north of $500,000 is a fair price point for the new Gulf Oil Ford GT Heritage Edition.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford GT.

Read more Ford news.