IB:gives:
Ford GT breaks 200-mph barrier during testing in Italy
One of the two Ford GTs at Nardo last week.
By AUTOWEEK
(09:55 June 07, 2004)
Not shocking, but impressive nonetheless: The 2005 Ford GT is the fastest production Ford ever.
In early June at Italy’s 13-kilometer Nardo test facility, development engineers ran the 550-hp GT to a terminal velocity of 205 mph. That speed was independently certified 38 years to the month after the original GT40 hit the traps on the Mulsanne Straight at 201 mph, becoming the first car to crack 200 at Le Mans en route to the first of its four straight wins in the 24 Hour.
The first GT40s were technically production cars, and homologated for street use just about everywhere. Later, evolutionary racing models went faster than 201 (or 205) mph, but with their infamous high-speed, front-end lift, the originals were terrifying at those speeds.
The 2005 GT benefits from four decades of aerodynamic development. While true to the original’s look, the new GT has an advanced aerodynamics: an underbody tray and subtle front and side splitters, a small rear spoiler extension and venturi tunnels wrapped under the rear clip.
“Speeds above 200 mph were remarkably uneventful, which is a very positive outcome,” said Mark McGowan, the 2005 GT’s vehicle dynamics supervisor and driver for the Nardo testing.
