Remember when Ford stole the show from Acura with the F-150 Raptor, Mustang Shelby GT350, and GT? The latter made the most jaws drop at the Detroit Auto Show a few years ago, but as opposed to the first generation of the mid-engine supercar, the outgoing model features six cylinders.
Everyone knows the GT doesn’t sound as good as competing supercars at the same price point. After all, what did you expect from a twin-turbo V6 that Ford developed in the first instance as an alternative to the Coyote V8 in the F-150 pickup truck? The more pressing question is, how much ponies are developed at the crankshaft and how many get to the rear wheels?
On a visit to Fabspeed in Philadelphia, the well-known Shmee150 decided to hit the dyno to find out. With a full tank of 93-octane gasoline, “fairly worn Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires and the European-spec GT export exhaust,” the GT posted 590 RWHP and approximately 650 at the crankshaft. Given that the Ford Motor Company promises 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque, we’re not surprised by these results.
It’s normal to expect a loss of 10 to 15 percent at the wheels, more so because turning suck-squeeze-bang-blow into propulsion is a complex process. Other than that, the clip posted by Shmee150 on YouTube further reveals the underbody design of one of the rarest supercars on the planet.
In production since December 2016 for the 2017 model year, the GT retails at around $450,000 before delivery and options. Ford leveled up to the GT Mk II at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, a track-only land missile with 700 ponies from a twin-turbo V6 3.5 liters of displacement.
Ford claims “it’s the closest GT owners can get to the Le Mans-winning performance and exhilarating feeling of crossing the finish line,” which is somewhat misleading if you compare the specifications of the GT Mk II with the LM GTE Pro racing car.
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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