Meet the Ford GT40, the main rival to Ferrari in the 1960s and winner of four 24 Hours of Le Man’s races.
GT40, created by Ford, is no longer available. However, the new model, which is compatible with 85% of the old parts from the 1960s, the new Superformance GT40 and is still the exact vehicle under a new licence by Shelby, costs around $282,900 and is built in South Africa.
The legacy of the GT40 still lives on, with the paintwork and design still being the same from Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi’s 1968 victory at the Le Man’s race; the vehicle has the number nine painted on the bonnet, and both doors have the iconic orange nose on the front of the car.
A Feel For The Design
The GT 40 is designed for speed with two giant fans at the bonnet, which circulates cool air in the vehicle to cool down the engine; also, the fuel tank at the left and right side of the car runs along the back of the GT40.
What also makes the vehicle special is that it has nozzles for refuelling at the front of the car on the sides of the bonnet.
The body of the GT40 is made of fibreglass with a roof made of steel, with the window mirrors being traditionally automatic and authentic from the 1960s era windows are Perspex with two flaps in both of the windows in the vehicle to get ventilation.
When driving this vehicle, you will get the authenticity and hear the rumble of the engine as you power the engine to the max.
Power Of The GT 40
To access the engine, two flaps on the back of the vehicle must be pushed up so that the engine cover is lifted; it is an important detail that could save drivers time looking for how to access the engine.
One of the unique aspects of the G 40 is that once you lift the engine cover, you will be able to see through the Vantage grill into the exhaust system; the engine itself is powered by a mid-mounted loose, tuned Ford 6 litres V8 which delivers 438 break hours power the rear wheels through a dogleg five-speed real manual transmission.
Being Inside The GT 40
With the interior layout of the GT 40, to gain access steering wheel can be clipped on and off, which makes it more accessible for the driver to get into the vehicle.
Also, the GT 40 is called the GT 40 because it is over 40 inches in height, this is something to be aware of because it can be awkward to enter and exit the vehicle for tall people.
When entering the vehicle, there is a sense of history; you can almost imagine what it must have been like for Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi to drive this iconic vehicle.
Superformance GT40 may not be the original GT40, but it still has the same spirit.