Back in 1966, Ford did the unthinkable and took their brand new GT40 over to the legendary Circuit de La Sarthe to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their surprising entrance did not only whooped Ferrari’s hind side by taking the win, but also by doing the same for the next three years. And it seems that Ferrari better be keeping an eye next year as Ford is set to return to the famed French racing circuit in 2016.
And to make sure that their 2016 return will be a breeze, Ford took their new GT race car to a circuit in Canada for a “Secret Shakedown”. The session is aimed to give engineers the baseline they need for further development of the race car and the key players in developing the GT race car are pretty anxious in its maiden voyage.
Instead of a V8, the new Ford GT is powered by a second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that pushes out more than 600-horsepower. The passenger cell is made out of carbon fiber and uses aluminium for the front and rear sub frames with carbon fiber body panels. Power is sent from the mid-mounted engine to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
There will be four Ford GTs competing next year, two in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, and another two in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
