July Hot Car: American Icon – The Ford GT

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From Photographer Matt Wetzel…

“How better to remember and pay tribute to a classic American automobile like the Ford GT40, than by styling a brand-new car with modern technologies. That’s exactly what Ford did in 2005 when they released the new Ford GT. Starting life as a idea in 2002 as the GT40 concept car, immediately the similarities between the classic GT40 and the new car were apparent. A mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, American V8-powered, and a shape so timeless that it was an instant sensation; with the first cars selling for more than $500K to those that could get their hands on them. Ford originally had planned to produce 4,500 chassis, however when production ended in 2006 only 4,038 ended up being built. The most common of these was the Red with white stripe, produced a total of 1,114 times, while rarer colors included the Gulf Heritage editions, and the lone Sonic blue car produced. Now, you can’t pay tribute to one of the great racing legends of the day without giving the new car some get up and go, and thanks to the team at Ford Racing, the GT had no problems in the speed department. Power was documented at 550 HP, though many claim higher. This propelled the GT from standstill to 60 MPH in just 3.3 seconds, and continued all the way to a top speed of 205. Often times American cars get a bad rap for being straight-line warriors, and not too nimble in the corners, however the engineers behind the car made sure to also give the car some agility. While not being praised as a corner carving weapon, the GT was remarkably better at taking the twistys, and for most people, it will out perform any demands they can ask for on public roads. Combine both of these traits, and it was easy to see Ford had hit a home run with this car. These days it is becoming more and more clear as the market value has climbed significantly. They first were priced towards the high $180,000 range, and now trading is solid in the high $275,000-$350,000 with rarer lower mileage examples going for the mid $400s. Starting in 2016, Ford will be bringing out the new generation of GT, completely re-designed and re-engineered. We can only wait and see what the new car will be capable of!”

More about Matt

Matt Wetzel is a twenty-year-old automotive photographer based in Buffalo, NY.

To see more of his work visit www.facebook.com/mattwetzelphotography