A month following the launch, Ford announced the Ford GT will be placed into production with a cost 'around six figures'.

The Ford GT supercar's layout immediately stirs up pictures of the marvelous Ford GT cars in the '60s. Yet a brand new demo attributes allnew dimensions plus a modern, outstanding inside - in addition to heroic engineering tales of how hightech approaches helped sustain a vintage type.

Certainly, the initial design proposal was a totally innovative design that interpreted cues from yesteryear in a contemporary form. The automobile utilized abbreviated surfaces, tougher edges and short overhangs like a vehicle.

'Freeing ourselves of the fear of making an automobile that seemed too similar to the original proved to be liberating experience for the group,' says Pardo. 'But remaining true to the initial themes in a tidy, contemporary design made it the most challenging job I have ever been a part of.'

Which is, before the concept-car was qualified for creation. Then, Pardo's character transformed from designer to guard. While the engineering group changed the abstraction, that was only 5% production-achievable, into a production vehicle, Pardo was tasked with sustaining the essence of the abstraction's design.

Since official system acceptance in-may 2002, the 2005 Ford GT is on the fast-track for productdevelopment time. The build procedure of the first three production vehicles kicked-off March 10, 2003. Internally, these vehicles are called jobs one, two and three, talking about Ford's term for the start of vehicle creation, job one.

Aluminum Space Frame
Typically a brand new vehicle was created from the inside-out, meaning the chassis and suspension points are established prior to the outside body was created around those measurements.

The group developed an allaluminum space frame, containing assorted stamped aluminum panels, seven elaborate castings, two semisolid formed castings, and 35 extrusions. The construction has two unique attributes: A large centre tunnel to place cutout roof sections and the midmounted fuel tank for the doors.

When the arrangement of the hybrid - aluminum design was accepted, the group addressed each element to reduce weight and optimize strength. As an effect, larger extrusions like the main framework rails have another depth on every wall. Portholes or windows within the castings - which support the powertrain and suspension - reduce needless mass. Even the tiny castings that link the A-pillars to the roof are finetuned for extreme rigidity and lightness.

Fuel-system
Crash modeling confirmed since it will help reduce hazards, most notably the center tunnel may be the preferred place for the Ford GT gas tank in crashes. As an extra advantage, the place keeps the center of gravity and also complete weight distribution relatively constant at differing gas amounts. The boat-in-a-bottle composition of the gas tank is a business first. Then, the tank is blowmolded across the railing. This approach maximizes fuel quantity and lowers the amount of connections for the fuel-system.

As another industry first, a capless fuel filler neck is featured by the Ford GT under an aluminum cover.

Aerodynamic Improvement
Like the concept-car, heat extractor and every air intake to the production Ford GT is practical. Based on Kent Harrison, Ford GT performance improvement manager, preliminary windtunnel testing demonstrated the concept-car had unusually good internal ventilation.

Finally, another group of ports on each side of the glass support diffuse heat in the engine compartment.

Harrison needed to concentrate in the bottom of the automobile, to sustain the layout of the concept-car. Harrison's group added a front splitter, which makes a highpressure region for front downforce, and restricts the amount of air traveling under the automobile. Additionally they added side splitters to stop air from sliding underneath the rock panels. Ultimately, venturi tunnels hasten leaving air, creating a vacuum that actually sucks the automobile to the pavement. The cumulative effect is considerable downforce at rate and 1 of the very effective lift/drag values on the production vehicle.

Doublewishbone Suspension

doublewishbone suspension layout with unlike-span aluminum control arms, coilover monotube shocks and stabilizer bars can be used front and back. The top control arms are exactly the same at every corner. They're made out of an innovative rheo - cast process which enables the intricacy of form connected with while retaining the effectiveness of forging molding.

The discs are a gigantic 14 inches in-front and 13.2 inches in the back, for fadefree stopping power. Antilock control and electronic brake force distribution aid provide steady, straight braking even from quite high speeds.

Supercharged 5.4liter V-8

The Ford GT is driven by an allnew, midengined powertrain creating 500 hp and 500 footpounds of torsion.

'This program actually shows its amazing possibility. The 5.4liter engine readily creates 500 hp and 500 footpounds of torque, while meeting all of the existing emissions and durability requirements. These figures are similar to the raceprepared, blueprinted 427 (7.0 liter) bigblocks inside the Ford GT cars.'
An all-new, aluminum block is featured by the Ford GT engine fitted with double overhead camshafts, fourvalve cylinder heads and highflow. To bear the stresses needed to create 500 hp, a crankshaft, shotpeened H - beam connecting rods and forged-aluminum pistons are used.

Fuel is delivered via double fuel injectors per cylinder. A modified screwtype supercharger blowing through a water-to-air intercooler provides adequate air-flow for engine output.

Hill's team specified two raceinspired powertrain parts, a dry-sump oil system plus a double-plate clutch. The highcapacity, dry - sump oil system provides constant lubrication, even during handling. Low pedal efforts are delivered by the twin-plate clutch while still giving the clamp loads needed to manage 500 footpounds of torsion. This helped preserve the low layout account and keep the auto's center of gravity low for improved management. Backing the clutch is an allnew, sixspeed transaxle from Ricardo. The transmission is completely synchronized and includes a built-in, torsion-sensing, limitedslip differential.

Inside
'As a race-car, the first Ford GT did not hold an interior-design to talk about,' says Pardo, Ford GT Chief Designer. 'They showcased two seats, a steering-wheel, several toggle switches and bunch of bare metal. That's it.' As such, the inside of the Ford GT is the largest deviation from the vehicles.

'The passenger cabin on most modern automobiles is isolated from the motor,' says Pardo. It makes an intimate connection together with the motor, similar to a bike than a car.'

The centerpiece of the inside is really a brushed-magnesium tunnel, which features the centermounted fuel tank.

The instrument panel includes a complete array of analog gauges, including a centermounted, oversize tachometer wrapped in aluminum bezels. In court to classic Ford GT cars, the panel is lined by stylized toggle switches, controlling the foglights, headlamps, dimmer switch, wiper blades and rear defroster.

Reduced parts of the tunnel and the matteblack instrument panel, door panels are designed in Azdel SuperLite Composite. This is actually the business's first use of Azdel through the inside. Azdel is about 30-percent lighter-than conventional injectionmolded substrates, provides better wear resistance and it is recyclable.

Outside
The engineering group needed to raise the roof peak, to improve passenger headroom. But, the design team believed the lower profile was really an essential facet of the Ford GT design. The design staff and engineers fought for every millimetre, eventually agreeing to raise the roof 17 millimetre s above that of the notion. Pardo scaled up the whole profile and returned to the studio, sustaining the total proportions of the layout, to pay for the additional peak.

2nd, Pardo created the concept-car with flushmounted windows to re-create the sleek, fuselage contour of the first Ford GT. The performance of the design proved difficult because fixed windows wouldn't be okay in a modern supercar, and dropdown windows made a packaging nightmare. The remedy maintains the continuity of style and enables the pane to fall completely into the doorway, snaking between the concave exterior door panel and also the concealed sideimpact beam.

The doors produced another creation challenge. Due to their own size as well as shape, the surface panels were overly complicated for conventional stamping. This procedure also empowered the team to copy the sweeping curves and intersecting designs through the remainder of the outside. Pardo calls the layout, in the spectacular sweep of the front fenders to the nose to the transition in the C-pillars to the back deck, 'organic and geometric.'

Story by Ford Motor Co, edited by Supercars.net