The Blue Oval might be more at home building Escorts and Mondeos, but it too has dabbled in the superecar arena in the past four decades. And considering the company’s main engineering focus, the two supercars it has built both qualify for CAR’s landmark supercar status. The original GT40 was a rude shock to Maranello and took a string of racing victories home as proof; the newer GT was equally adept and more than one magazine placed it ahead of its Italianate contemporaries. Bravo the Blue Oval
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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Ford GT40
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1965
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£6700
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4763cc V8, 306bhp, 329lb ft
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4.0sec
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154mph
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For
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Do you really care that it was a racer first?
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Against
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Dynamics and ergonomics betray those race-car roots
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Verdict
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Looks more at home in Gulf colours than a plain road paintjob
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The GT40 was mid-engined, low, fast and rare. But it wasn’t the first supercar; it was a race car developed with the sole intention of beating Ferrari at Le Mans, which it did four times. The road versions were an afterthought
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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Ford GT
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2002
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£120,000
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5409cc V8, 500bhp, 500lb ft
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3.8sec
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190mph
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For
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The handmade, supercharged 5.4-litre V8 produces well in
excess of the 550bhp Ford claims
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Against
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Gorgeous, but styling is a straight lift from the Sixties original
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Verdict
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Hugely impressive for a firm with no recent supercar heritage
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Another supercar birthday present; this time from Ford to itself for its centenary. Just like its forebear, the new GT was an instant Ferrari-beater, with the first of the 4000 made selling for huge premiums
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