Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Ford’s GT supercar goes on a carbon fiber diet to keep its performance edge

Stephen Edelstein
By
1 of 9
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s hard to imagine improving on the current Ford GT, but the automaker is trying with the 2019 Carbon Series model. The Carbon Series cuts weight while adding special styling and an extra dose of rarity to Ford’s race-proven supercar.

Recommended Videos

The Carbon Series treatment saves about 40 pounds compared to a regular GT, according to Ford. Those savings come from carbon fiber wheels (which are an optional extra on other GT models), titanium lug nuts, a titanium exhaust system, and a polycarbonate engine cover. Ford also removed the cupholders and the driver’s seat storage bin. Every little bit helps.

Related

Despite the focus on shedding weight, Ford retained the air conditioning and Sync 3 infotainment system. Removing those items would have saved even more pounds, but Ford wanted to keep the Carbon Series relatively civilized.

You can spot a Ford GT Carbon Series by the exposed stripe of carbon fiber running down the center of the car. The lightweight material can also be seen on the forward pillars and low side skirts. The interior features exposed matte carbon fiber on many pieces. Ford says the Carbon Series shows off more carbon fiber than any previous GT.

Carbon Series buyers can also add an Accent Package in silver, orange, red, or blue. The selected color is used on the sideview mirror caps, brake calipers, and to frame the central carbon fiber stripe.

No mechanical changes were made, so the Carbon Series still employs a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 producing 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sends that power to the rear wheels. It’s unclear how much difference the roughly 40-pound weight reduction will make in performance, but with a quoted top speed of 216 mph, it’s not like the GT needs to improve in that area.

As with all GT models, Carbon Series buyers need to apply for the privilege. The application process was put in place to ensure the limited number of GTs go to people will genuinely treasure them, and not just flip them for quick money, although Ford hasn’t been entirely successful in preventing that. Ford recently announced that it will expand GT production from 1,000 cars to 1,350. The application process reopens November 8. Expect the Carbon Series to command a premium over the standard GT, which is rumored to start at around $450,000. Ford said it can build only one Carbon Series car per week.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
McLaren’s next supercar will focus on comfort as well as performance
McLaren GT teaser

McLaren's supercars are pretty good on a racetrack, but the company's next model is aimed more for the road. Scheduled for a May 15 unveiling, the new McLaren is called the GT. That's short for "Grand Touring," a descriptor automakers traditionally apply to cars that are fast, but also comfortable enough for long-distance journeys. That seems to be what McLaren has in mind for its GT.

The McLaren GT was announced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, and at the time, CEO Mike Flewitt said the car would have "continent-crossing capability." McLaren even sent a prototype on a drive from its testing base in Barcelona, Spain, to its headquarters in Woking, England, with two occupants and a full complement of luggage as part of the testing program. Flewitt also said the GT would share DNA with McLaren's $2.2 million, 1,035-horsepower Speedtail, which the company describes as its "hyper GT."

Read more
The 6 best car phone holders in 2024
Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger with an iPhone 14 Pro.

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Installing a car phone mount in your vehicle is the best way to make sure that you have easy access to your smartphone when behind the wheel. While you shouldn't be using your phone while driving, having it mounted on your windshield, dashboard, vent, or anywhere else will let you take a quick glance when you're using a navigation app, or to change your playlist when you stop for a traffic light, for example. Instead of having to pick up your device, it will be easier and faster to get these done while it's on a car phone mount for less time of having your eyes off the road.

Read more
Should you buy a used EV? Maybe, but it’s complicated
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD rear end side profile from driver's side with trees and a metal fence in the back.

Electric cars are slowly but surely getting cheaper. Over the past year or so, Ford and Tesla have been discounting their most popular electric cars while other brands, like Rivian, are laying the groundwork for all-new cheaper models.

But you'd still be hard-pressed to call electric cars cheap, and buying a completely new car in the first place is a hurdle in and of itself for many potential buyers. According to Statista, used car sales represented around 74% of all car sales in 2022, and while this figure is likely to change as electric cars get cheaper, the fact remains that most car buyers would prefer to save cash and buy used rather than buy something new.
Buying a new car ain't what it used to be
Buying a car with an electric powertrain doesn't necessarily need to be all that different from buying an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. But there's a little more to it than that.

Read more