‘Ford GT’ is one of those monikers that has an instant, palpable association with greatness. Like the Porsche 911 and BMW’s M line, GT is a special name, and thus has a pretty extravagant design process.
The 600-plus-horsepower, carbon fiber-clad supercar will be extensively featured in the upcoming Forza Motorsport 6 video game, and Xbox recently released an exclusive behind the scenes video.
The 5:38 film showcases the car’s design ethos, the importance of video games to the automotive industry, and the EcoBoost-powered vehicle’s throwbacks to the iconic GT40.
“We were looking at 2016, which is the 50th anniversary of us winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in fact coming in 1-2-3,” said Raj Nair, Ford’s VP of Global Product Development. “It’s the 50th anniversary, we have to do something.”
And thus the twin-turbo speedster was born. The car employs a sleek, contemporary look, but has strong styling cues to the previous-generation examples. Unlike past GTs though, the new vehicle leans heavily on carbon fiber. The dashboard itself is made from the material, in fact, and actually serves as a structural member for the GT’s tub.
Moving on to the Forza side of things, the team believes video games are a modern example of the posters gearheads would hang up in the 1970s. Bringing the car to life virtually allows Ford to tell the GT’s story to those who may never get a chance to drive one for real.
“I think the whole concept of gaming is one of those things that is very important in making a connection to customers and creating that real sense of participation of that product,” said Kip Wingm Ford’s Assistant Chief Engineer. “With the way video games and evolved and how driving simulators have evolved, you get a much more true sense about what the true ownership experience is about.”
(Video via Xbox)
