Item: Ford GT
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

Alpine A110

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante

Aston Martin Vantage

Audi R8

Audi R8 Spyder

Audi TT RS

Audi TT Roadster

BMW Alpina B4 S

BMW M2

BMW Z4

BMW i8 Roadster

Bugatti Chiron

Caterham Seven

Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray

Ferrari 488 Spider

Ferrari 812 Superfast

Ferrari F8 Tributo

Ferrari GTC4 Lusso

Ferrari Roma

Ford GT

Honda NSX

Lamborghini Huracan Evo

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder

Lexus LC

Lexus LC Convertible

Lotus Elise

Lotus Exige

McLaren 540C

McLaren 570S

McLaren 570S Spider

McLaren 720S Spider

Mercedes E63 AMG

Mercedes-AMG GT

Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster

Nissan 370Z

Nissan GT-R

Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder

Porsche 911

Porsche 911 Cabriolet

Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche 911 Targa

Porsche Boxster

Porsche Cayman

Subaru WRX STI

Toyota GR Supra

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

Unless you’ve already ordered a GT, you won’t be able to buy one; Ford has already received some 7000 applications for the 1000 cars it’s eventually going to build, and it’ll divvy up the allocation pretty quickly.

What it doesn’t want, however, is cars languishing in big collections, so priority will go to people who actually plan to use their GTs. Expect to see cars at shows and events rather than turned around quickly on the used market for a big profit.

Despite the blue oval badge on the front, obviously this race-car-derived special isn’t going to be cheap to run, on any front. You don’t get much in the way of equipment, either, only the essentials: electric windows, cruise control and air conditioning. If you are lucky enough to be on the list for a new GT, however, there are personalisation options available.

Given that the GT started life as a racing car, the most astonishing thing about it is the quality of its ride. Thumb the button that softens the suspension's dampers and, like most supercars, which have their suspension settings mulled over to the nth degree by fastidious engineers, the GT can shame a few family hatchbacks when it comes to smoothing over bumps.

That’s in terms of the physical shocks you receive, but as far as interior noise goes, it’s a completely different story. This is where you appreciate wholeheartedly that this was never designed as a road car, in the way that a McLaren 720S was, for example. The carbonfibre tub you sit in, with precious little soundproofing, acts like an echo chamber as you ride rough roads. You can hear stones pinging off the car's underbody, and within the carbon bodywork, all the things that make the GT go are fizzing, clonking and whirring away.

Most notable, of course, is the big V6 engine. This barks angrily, gutturally even, just inches away from your ears. When you’re on the throttle, it’s a cacophony of induction roar and the violent explosions from within the cylinders; when you’re off the throttle, it’s the wheezing from the wastegates, hurriedly venting the turbochargers' colossal boost pressure out into the atmosphere. It’s intoxicating, but never anything but very loud.

What about performance, then? Well, it’s mighty - Ford claims that the GT can blast from 0-60mph in 2.8sec and go on to a top speed of 216mph. There's a little lag between you putting your foot down and the car gathering up the horizon at a stupendous pace. This is mostly noticeable below 2500rpm, but past 3500rpm the delay is fractional.

In first and second gears, the biggest surprise is that (in the dry, at least) the two rear wheels will actually accept full throttle, even on a bumpy road, without spinning up. It’s when you get into third that you can start to appreciate fully how quick the GT is, with the rate of acceleration seeming never to drop below epic.

Surprisingly, considering this car’s genesis on the track, it’s manageable. With weighty and accurate steering, the GT darts in to corners extremely keenly, and the trick suspension keeps the body supremely flat. You get more feedback from the 720S on the road, but the GT is still entertaining and, if you get brave, playful without feeling like it’s about to throw you into a hedge.

On a circuit, for which the suspension drops 70mm in an instant when Track mode is enabled, it’s mightily fast and involving.

Then there are the brakes: those big carbon-ceramic discs and the flip-up rear air brake haul you to a stop so quickly they could tease tears from the eyes of even the happiest soul.

Our overall rating:Rated 4 out of 5

That this supercar exists at all is because Ford wanted to return to the Le Mans 24-hour race and needed a car to do it with. Regulations say it must sell roadgoing versions of whatever car it races with, so here we are: the long, low, race-derived Ford GT.

It's built around a lightweight carbonfibre chassis, in which up to two occupants sit, and has a very narrow body to help it slip through the air. In the middle, just behind the driver, sits a highly tuned 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with two turbochargers. The engine makes 638bhp and 550lb ft of torque – even more than it does in the racing version, which has to be limited to meet regulations.

All that grunt goes to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. There are very clever 'active' spoilers to enhance the aerodynamics, and the suspension has two different heights: one for the road and the other for the track.

The car will be built by Ford’s project partner, Multimatic of Canada, at a rate of 250 a year until the 1000 it plans to sell are gone.

So, should you buy the GT, or a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ferrari/488-gtb/coupe/review/n164">Ferrari 488 GTB</a>, or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mclaren/720/coupe/review/n174">McLaren 720S</a>? We've been driving one in the UK to find out.

The GT is relatively spartan by the standards of modern supercars. But then they are mostly designed as grand tourers or sports cars first, and track and race cars second, whereas the GT comes at it from the other way around.

The first thing that strikes you is how ungainly it is getting in. You have to perch on the wide sill, then swing your legs up and over, while simultaneously sliding back onto the seat. Ladies, you might want to consider your dress code before going for a blast – it’s a tricky process to manage discreetly if you’re hemmed above the knee.

Then there’s the unconventional seating adjustment. The driver’s seat is fixed directly to the chassis and, although the driver's backrest does recline, it’s the pedals and steering wheel that move back and forth toward you, rather than the other way around.

After playing around, though, it’s decently comfortable, but if you’re tall you might find the steering wheel blocks of the top of the instrument dials.

In much the same way that Ferrari does it, Ford has mounted the buttons for everything from driving modes to wipers and indicators on the steering wheel. McLaren forsake this nod to F1 ergonomics on the basis that, for road cars, it’s better to keep things simple. We tend to agree, because trying to find the button for the left-hand indicator that was where it was supposed to be before you turned the wheel, but is now on the right, can be rather confusing.

In the GT, forward or side vision are both good, but your rear views are hindered by the tapering body and tiny rear window. The 720S, with its more expansive glass area, is much easier to see out of and airier inside, too.

What else is there to tell you about the GT's interior? Well, it's pretty austere, like a racing car, but still exquisite if you are focusing on the wonderful bare carbonfibre that makes up most of the surfaces. Beyond that, though, the material quality is a little questionable, certainly in comparison to the GT's exotic rivals.

The GT's sat-nav works okay – it’s part of the Sync3 infotainment system that’ll be familiar to anyone who drives a current-generation Ford Focus - but its sound system has to compete with the road and engine noise; rather like hosting a clarinet lesson on an airport runway. The infotainment also offers a track app, which records the car and driver's performance on a circuit, including lap times and steering, accelerator and braking inputs. It can even record video of you driving via a smartphone.

Sports

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

If you want a fast road car that you can use on track, the GT isn't it. Instead this is a race car with numberplates, making it awesome to drive but not as refined as its rivals

Anyone who knows anything about the original Ford GT40 might be aware that it was a severely cramped car – it was named GT40, after all, because the top of the roof was just 40 inches from the ground. Thankfully, the modern GT was built to be a little more accommodating. There’s just enough head and leg room inside for those over 6ft tall to get comfortable, although the interior is narrow - invite only people you truly like to sit in the passenger seat, because you'll be literally rubbing shoulders with them.

Make sure they know to pack light, too. There’s barely any interior storage to speak of, and while the GT does technically have a boot, we suspect it’s only there because the racing rules insist that, as a road car, it should have one. It's sat behind the engine, and is little more than a cubbyhole, into which you couldn’t fit even a crash helmet.

If you want a fast road car that you can use on track, the GT isn't it. Instead this is a race car with numberplates, making it awesome to drive but not as refined as its rivals

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

The Mazda MX-5 embodies sports-car spirit without wearing an exotic price tag, and has deservedly gained a strong following over the years. Much newer to the scene is the mid-engined Alpine A110. It may carry a name from the past, but this potent, mid-engined sports car was designed with the very latest lightweight thinking.&nbsp;

Rounding off our shortlist, though, is a name that'll be familiar to even those to whom sports cars hold little interest. The Porsche 911 was born an icon in 1964, and the latest generation bridges the gap between sports car and supercar. Yet, somehow, it manages to preserve a distinctly civilised character.

Ford GT review

Fill out our 2022 Reliability Survey - and win a prize!

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Volvo XC60

Nissan Ariya

Fiat 500

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Honda HR-V

Dacia Jogger

/news/complete-the-2022-what-car-reliability-survey-for-the-chance-to-win-a-prize/n15554

New car deals >>

site ribbon config

Buying advice for the Ford GT covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

Unless you’ve already ordered a GT, you won’t be able to buy one; Ford has already received some 7000 applications for the 1000 cars it’s eventually going to build, and it’ll divvy up the allocation pretty quickly.,What it doesn’t want, however, is cars languishing in big collections, so priority will go to people who actually plan to use their GTs. Expect to see cars at shows and events rather than turned around quickly on the used market for a big profit.,Despite the blue oval badge on the front, obviously this race-car-derived special isn’t going to be cheap to run, on any front. You don’t get much in the way of equipment, either, only the essentials: electric windows, cruise control and air conditioning. If you are lucky enough to be on the list for a new GT, however, there are personalisation options available.

New car deals >>

Ford GT review

Alpine A110

Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder

Costs & verdict

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

What Car? has a buying service

Quick search

Tools & services

Legal bits

Information