When it comes to American supercars, few stick out better than the Ford GT. Classic ‘race car’ styling combined with insane horsepower and wicked performance, it doesn’t get more American than that. So who better to review this heart-stopper from the states than Jeremy Clarkson? After Realizing that a road trip around the world isn’t exactly the place for a race car, he decided to take the monster where it belongs, the track.
He begins by placing the car into track mode, a standard for most high-performance cars of today. What this does is lower the car, stiffen the springs by100%, lift the electronically controlled wing, and engage the anti-lag system to allow constant power provided by the Ford EcoBoost engine. Clarkson describes the car as “Like pogo-dancing to the Ramones,” and “hard and brutal, and unrefined”. Contrasting the GT and a Ferrari, he unfolds his opinion as just exactly why the vehicles are opposites. “When you’re in a Ferrari, it’s like you’re wrapped in silk,” this, as he puts it, “Is like falling into a saw at a lumber yard.”
However, brutality is just one piece that this glorious car brings to the equation. Clarkson goes on to list the car’s many performance attributes, stating “The steering is brilliant, the brakes are brilliant,” going on about how, in his words, “You get the very distinct impression that nothing has been compromised to make it work elegantly on the road.” With every turn, you see the joy on Jeremy’s face as he goes on talking about the responsiveness and driver connection. He even goes as far as to beg the question “why can’t more cars feel like this!?”
As he continues driving he points out the irritating messy noise coming from what would seem to many to be a dismal V6. However, though the V6 only produces 647 horsepower which pales in comparison to some of its competitors, he goes on to point out that, though a V8 would fix both of these issues, it was a conscious effort by the design team at Ford. The name of the game is lightweight, and you just can’t get that with a V8. When you put the car into V-max mode, disabling the functional aero, you can accelerate the car from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds. This impressive acceleration left Mr. Clarkson with only one choice phrase, “Jesus Christ!” which is appropriate for the GT’s 216mph top speed.
Jeremy’s review ends by pointing out the car’s flaws, stating “The steering wheel is ugly and difficult to use, the fuel tank is too small, and the body is too big…” However the flawed nature of the car is also something that makes it great, he goes on to say “…but yet, Ferraris and Lamborghinis are all very good cars. But mostly they’re bought by posers.” He describes how the rough nature of the car makes it virtually impossible to use it just as a clout magnet. As the review comes to an end, we get the image of the GT flying around corners and Jeremy flooring the pedal as the sun glints off of that beautiful bodywork.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
