Back in 1966, Henry Ford II entered his newly-built Ford GT40 into one of history's greatest endurance races: Le Mans 24 Hour.
The idea behind the sweeping lines of the GT40 was to create an American supercar with V8 power that could challenge the exotic perennial favourites from Europe, and challenge it did...
In it's first 24 Hour Le Mans race in 1966, the Ford GT40 completed the trifecta, with the Blue Oval cars taking an historic 1-2-3 win during their debut race.
The GT40 went on to do
minate the famous Le Mans races through the late 60s, consecutively winning Le Mans for the next three years.
Fast forward thirty-four years and FoMoCo is celebrating its 100th birthday, with an all-new 2005 model-year Ford GT to be offered later in 2004.
The "Centennial Supercar", as many Ford types are calling it, celebrates not only the company's centenary milestone, but also the it's history-making run in the Le Mans series.
On a less emotional level, the new mid-engined V8-powered Ford GT will challenge the new breed of supercars on the market, from groups such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamboghini, Porsche and Dodge.
"The Ford GT is our Centennial Supercar because it reaches into great moments from our past, while casting a light into the future," said Chris Theodore, vice president, Ford Advance Product Creation.
"As we celebrate our centennial, the Ford GT represents many of the technologies, processes and people that will help drive our next 100 years."
Originally unveiled at the 2002 Detroit Motor Show as a concept, the GT was so popular with the public and the press, that just 45 days after its unveiling, Ford announced that a road-going production version was on its way.
Visually, the GT is one supremely attractive supercar; its low stance and the way the doors cut into the roof is gear.
Sharing many design cues with the classic 60s racer, such as its sleek curves and retro styling, the new GT looks amazing sitting on six-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels up front and 19-inchers at the rear, both shod with low-profile rubber.
While there is almost no overhang at the rear wheels, the front end features a long overhang, which again is a salute to the original GT40 racecar.
HID headlights give away the Ford GT's more contemporary origins, while massive air ducts located behind the doors supply the mid-mounted engine (located just in front of the rear axle) with cool air, and the whole picture is finished off elegantly with a small decklid spoiler.
Step into the GT's cockpit and you'll never want to leave - the combination of classic and modern features is instantly mesmerising.
Acres of brushed metal along the transmission tunnel greet the driver, and innovative "ventilated seats" make the cut, as does a plethora of old-school style toggle switches, keeping with the retro theme.
Like the mid 1960s GT40, the new Ford GT is powered by an eight cylinder engine, though not as large as the 7.0-litre mill found in the Le Mans-winning car.
The engine actually shares a lot in common with the 'Boss' engine's Ford Australia uses with its BA Falcon, nicknamed 'MODular' in the US due to the range of sizes its available in.
The new Ford GT is powered by 5.4-litres of V8 displacement and quad-overhead camshafts mirror those of the local Boss. In order to replicate the power generated by the classic GT40 however, Ford strapped a rather large Eaton roots-type supercharger onto the already highly-tuned V8 donk.
SVT, or Ford's Special Vehicle Team, fettled the 5.4-litre small-block V8 until they achieved the magic double 500: That is, 500 ponies and 500 foot-pounds.
In local lingo, that's roughly 373kW of power and a whopping 678Nm of torque, all delivered to the rear wheels via a Ricardo-developed 6 speed manual transmission.
The 32-valve, 330 cubic-inch, 90-degree all-aluminum V8 is located behind the driver, giving the car a low centre of gravity. It generates 373kW @ 6000rpm and 678Nm of torque @ 4500rpm. The engine also makes use of forged components to deal with the extra pressure of forced induction: Crankshaft, connecting rods and aluminum pistons.
In real world situations, the new Ford GT will be capable of about 300km/h and insiders suggest that it will hit 100km/h in roughly 3.8 seconds. Other sources indicate that it will blast down the 400m (1/4 mile) drag strip in less than 12 seconds, which is blindingly quick, even for a supercar.
"The Ford GT is the ultimate Living Legend," explained J Mays, Ford's global vice president of design, during the car's unveiling as part of Ford's 100-year celebrations. "It's a true supercar with appeal equal to that of the greatest sports cars in the world, but with the addition of a heritage no one can match.
"Essential elements of the original - including the stunning low profile and mid-mounted American V8 engine - continue in this latest interpretation of the classic."
While the 21st century production Ford GT shares a lot of visual cues with the classic 60s giant killer, neither car has any exact similarities. For instance, the new GT is much longer and slightly more than 100mm taller than its 1960s cousin.
The new GT is also much more techno savvy, incorporating an aluminium spaceframe, which combines both light weight and extemely high levels of torsional rigidity. Aluminium is also used extensively for body panels (with what Ford calls "super-plastic-formed" aluminum body panels) and the independent suspension rigs comprise control arms and coil-over spring-damper units to enable its low stance.
Other intriguing features include a friction-stir welded centre tunnel, roll-bonded floor panels, a "ship-in-a-bottle" type fuel tank with an interesting 'capless' fuel filler system, an aluminum engine cover with a one-piece carbon-fiber inner panel and stiff one-piece door panels.
The brake calipers on the Ford GT are supplied by Brembo and cover cross-drilled and vented discs on each wheel, ensuring the vehicle can decelerate just as effectively as it accelerates.
With blue camshaft covers embossed with the words "Powered by Ford", the new GT is arguably Ford's crowning glory in the new millennium, and the blown engine at its heart promises to put the American V8 back into the supercar race - and perhaps even ruffle a few feathers while it's at it.