The arrival of the wicked 2017 Ford GT will be met with much fanfare and formality, but a keen-eyed photographer recently managed to snap a few pictures of the car in its casual dress.
A World Car Fans reader is responsible for the pre-production prototype photos, and they show the highly-anticipated supercar out for a stroll wearing mismatched carbon fiber bodywork, a fair amount of panel gap, and some good old-fashioned American dirt.
Scheduled for production in late 2016, the turbocharged coupe will reportedly carry around 95 percent of the concept car’s design to the showroom floor, and the prototype’s basic shape confirms that fact. Pay no mind to the square headlights or lack of grill mesh though, because at this point, the vehicle is more mule than thoroughbred racehorse.
When it hits dealerships next year, the second-generation GT will equip a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with an output of more than 600 horsepower. That massive thrust will be channeled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which should be good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint of around 3.0 seconds.
Active aero (such as a deployable rear spoiler) and a lightweight composite body will further enhance the two-door’s performance. With its liberal application of carbon fiber, Ford says “the GT will exhibit one of the best power-to-weight ratios of any production car.”
Impressive acceleration and handling are obviously the sleek vehicle’s main goals, but the Blue Oval automaker promises that the supercar will boast several technological innovations to assist the driver, such as the brand’s ‘Sync 3’ advanced connectivity system.
A love letter to the original GT40, the GT could cost around $400,00, and only 250 examples per year are planned to be made.
