Photo: Ford
Remember the 2015 edition of the Detroit Auto Show? More to the point, the night the Ford Motor Company flexed its muscles by presenting not one, not two, but three performance-oriented machines: the 2017 GT, F-150 Raptor, and Shelby GT350 Mustang.
Back then, we were expecting the F-150 Raptor and Shelby GT350 Mustang to show up, but the GT? It was a complete surprise, one that took even Acura by surprise, outshining the launch of the new NSX. Two years since Ford made our jaws drop, the build up has finally come to a disappointing climax.
In the automaker’s words, the dry weight of the 2017 Ford GT “places the supercar between its two primary competitors, the McLaren 675LT and Ferrari 488 [GTB].” Am I the only one that sees what’s wrong with this picture?
First things first, both the Macca and Fezza are more powerful than the 2017 Ford GT, and both back two more cylinders. Then there’s the problem of price. At $450,000 or thereabout, the mid-engined American supercar is hideously overpriced for the performance figures it offers. What’s more, the 675LT is a wee bit lighter than the GT at 2,928 pounds (1,328 kilograms).
Then there’s the top speed. At 216 miles per hour, the Jaguar XJ220 from the early 1990s would like to have a word with the Ford GT. Squeezing 217 mph or 349 km/h out of a 3,240-pound (1,470-kg) car with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 based on the Austin Rover V64V is brilliant. But what Ford did from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost can be described in a couple of words: plain mediocre.
Oh, and another thing: the EcoBoost is more Boost than Eco considering it guzzles fuel at a higher rate than the 2005 Ford GT with the blown V8. Call me a hater, call me stupid, but the 2017 Ford GT is not the white-knuckle unicorn I was expecting it to be. Very far from it, to be utterly honest.
At 0.4 cubic feet (11.3 liters), the cargo volume is pretty bad too.
And now, have some figures:
In the automaker’s words, the dry weight of the 2017 Ford GT “places the supercar between its two primary competitors, the McLaren 675LT and Ferrari 488 [GTB].” Am I the only one that sees what’s wrong with this picture?
First things first, both the Macca and Fezza are more powerful than the 2017 Ford GT, and both back two more cylinders. Then there’s the problem of price. At $450,000 or thereabout, the mid-engined American supercar is hideously overpriced for the performance figures it offers. What’s more, the 675LT is a wee bit lighter than the GT at 2,928 pounds (1,328 kilograms).
Then there’s the top speed. At 216 miles per hour, the Jaguar XJ220 from the early 1990s would like to have a word with the Ford GT. Squeezing 217 mph or 349 km/h out of a 3,240-pound (1,470-kg) car with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 based on the Austin Rover V64V is brilliant. But what Ford did from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost can be described in a couple of words: plain mediocre.
Oh, and another thing: the EcoBoost is more Boost than Eco considering it guzzles fuel at a higher rate than the 2005 Ford GT with the blown V8. Call me a hater, call me stupid, but the 2017 Ford GT is not the white-knuckle unicorn I was expecting it to be. Very far from it, to be utterly honest.
At 0.4 cubic feet (11.3 liters), the cargo volume is pretty bad too.
And now, have some figures:
- 647 horsepower (656 PS) at 6,250 rpm
- 550 pound-feet (746 Nm) at 5,900 rpm
- 3,054 pounds (1,385 kg)
- 4.72 pounds/horsepower
- 216 mph (348 km/h)
- 11 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, 14 mpg combined
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