If you think of some of the most successful race cars in the automotive history, it’s quite likely that the Ford GT40 is one of the models that comes to mind. After a not so very successful racing debut in 1964, the GT40 ended up with four consecutive Le Mans wins. The last of the series was the GT40 Mk IV - a model that ran in only two races, the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans. It won both events. The MK IV was built around a reinforced J chassis and was powered by the same 7.0-liter V-8 engine as the Mk II - a decision that didn't surprise anyone since the Mk II scored the triumphant 1966 1-2-3 Le Mans finish. As a tribute to the 1967 Ford GT40 Mk IV and to mark the end of the current generation GT, Ford announced the new GT Mk IV - "the ultimate and most extreme track only Ford GT ever." It comes only a month after the GT LM Edition was unveiled back in October as the last road-going iteration of the supercar.
This Is The Most Powerful GT To Date
The current generation Ford GT is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers a total of 660 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. For the new GT Mk IV, Ford will use a “specially engineered twin-turbo EcoBoost engine” that will deliver in excess of 800 horsepower. The engine will be mated to a racing transmission, while a Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) suspension should provide the best driving experience. There is no word on how fast the new GT Mk IV will be, but it will for sure be faster than the standard model. The latter goes from 0 to 60 mph in about 3 seconds and can hit a top speed of 205 mph.
It Features An Aero-Focused Exterior Design
The new GT Mk IV is built on a special chassis with a longer wheelbase – a move that should improve the supercar’s handling. It comes with a wider body when compared with the standard GT, and a carbon fiber body kit makes it look even more extreme but also makes it a lot more aerodynamic. Even the headlights were redesigned, and as you can see, there are no side mirrors.
“The original GT Mk IV held nothing back for max track performance, and the new Ford GT Mk IV brings it in the same way,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “With an even higher-level of motorsport engineering and performance, plus a completely new carbon fiber body that is functional and striking, the Mk IV is the ultimate sendoff of the third-generation supercar.”
The Ford GT Mk IV Is Not Cheap
To mark the year when the original GT40 Mk IV was launched, the new GT Mk IV will be limited to only 67 units. Each unit will be hand-built at Multimatic’s facility in Markham, Ontario. As you can imagine, the track-only supercar is not cheap: it starts from $1.7 million. Ford will announce its clients selection in the first quarter of 2023 and deliveries will begin in late spring 2023.
