Ford announced that this Friday at 9:00 am EST, it plans to make a “significant performance news” announcement. In attendance will be Ford Executive Chairman, Bill Ford, President and CEO Mark Fields, and Group Vice President of Global Product Development Raj Nair.
Trust us, they don’t put all these guys together if it isn’t big.
Also in attendance will be a special guest, with no hint as to just who that might be. Given the nature of the announcement, we’ll guess its either a driver or a team manager.
So what makes us so sure this has to do with the new GT entering motorsport? Well, when Ford revealed the new 2016 Ford GT at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, rumors were already churning about a race car version following soon after. Why? For one, the timing was perfect. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the original Ford GT that slapped Ferrari in the face with a 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans in 1966. This announcement being held a day before this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans can’t be a coincidence, either.
While the 2005 Ford GT was an affectionate modern tribute to the classic race car, the rumor mill was convinced the new street-legal GT is being made to satisfy homologation requirements – rules that say carmakers need a street version of its car before a race car version can be approved.
We’re already crazy about the six-cylinder ecoboost-powered supercar, and we’re just as geared up for this weekend’s Le Mans race, so if the announcement is what we think it is, we may burst with excitement.
Editors' Recommendations
- Ford’s electric 1,502-hp Mustang dragster burns tires, not race fuel
- Ford is looking to recruit gamers for its first-ever esports racing team
- Why Ford chose a dual-clutch transmission for the Shelby GT500 Mustang
- The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 thunders into the muscle car ring with 760 hp
- Ford says au revoir to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with retro GT liveries
