Subtracting weight is Colin Chapman’s mantra, and naturally, every mainstream automaker understood this concept since Lotus’ founder made a name for himself. As the automotive industry keeps pushing toward light materials, it comes as no surprise that lightweight editions are all the rage right now.
The 2017 Ford GT was designed from the get-go to be as light as possible, but according to the owner’s manual, the Blue Oval might have the right know-how to shed a couple more pounds. As DragTimes notes in the following video, a so-called “Competition Model” might be in the offing.
A look through the owner’s manual for the GT reveals that DragTimes is right. The Competition Model shows up three times in the owner’s manual, though there’s no actual photograph or technical spec on the menu. However, we learn that the newcomer won’t have an electric hatch release. The dieting continues with a two-piece prop rod tasked to hold the hood open. In the case of the regular Ford GT, a hydraulic strut does the job just fine.
The Competition Model also features a key fob that lacks a button for the hatch release. “But how do I lift up the rear hatch?” The answer to this question comes in the form of a locking hood-pin latch. As if that wasn’t enough, the latch differs in design from that of the GT endurance racecar.
On that note, another question must be posed. Will the Competition Model be more powerful than the GT? Whatever the answer, there’s no denying the lighter weight will help the Competition Model outperform the GT off the line and in the corners. If it will ever see the light of day, and it will probably do, the 2018 Ford GT Competition Model will cost a lot of money. However, what you lose in terms of toys and convenience you gain in performance.
For reference, the regular GT tips the scales at 3,054 pounds (dry).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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