Ford is celebrating its hard-earned Le Mans victory with a limited-edition version of the vaunted GT supercar. Called ’66 Heritage Edition, it pays homage to the GT40 that started a four-year winning streak when it brought home Ford’s first Le Mans victory in 1966.
The commemorative GT’s shadow-black paint job is accented by silver stripes and a few components crafted out of exposed carbon fiber, elements that highlight the coupe’s ultra-light design. The #2 graphics on the hood and on both doors hark back to the winning car, while gold rims add a touch of contrast to the look. The livery creates a strong visual link between the current GT and the GT40 that Australian pilots Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon took turns racing for an entire day 50 years ago.
The cabin receives ebony leather upholstery with pillowed inserts and plow-through stitching, while Ford has added gold trim on the shift paddles, the seat braces, and the instrument panel. In other words, it’s not the kind of stripped interior you’d expect to find in a race-winning car designed as a homage to one of the greatest American race cars of all time.
Ford hasn’t made any mechanical modifications to the limited-edition GT. That’s not a bad thing, because the stock model uses a mid-mounted 3.5-liter V6 that generates over 600 horsepower thanks in part to a pair of turbochargers. The six-cylinder spins the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission controlled by shift paddles.
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Buyers and enthusiasts can configure their dream Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition by visiting FordGT.com. Ford says it will build a limited number of ’66 Heritage Edition models for the 2017 model year only, but pricing and availability haven’t been announced yet. Our advice: Act fast if you want one.