2005 GT
The 2005 GT is more than 18 inches longer and stands nearly 4 inches taller then it predecessor. Its new lines draw upon and refine the best features of Ford GT history and express the car’s identity through modern proportion and surface development. The front fenders curve over 18-inch wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. In the tradition of original Ford GT racers, the doors cut into the roof.
Prominent on the leading edge of the rear quarter panel are functional cooling scoops that channel fresh air to the engine. The rear wheel wells, filled with 19-inch wheels and tires, define the rear of the car, while the accent line from the front cowl rejoins and finishes the car’s profile at the integrated “ducktail” spoiler.
Looking in through the backlight, one can sense the greatness of the sports car in Ford’s MOD 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine. The finishing touches are Ford blue cam covers, each featuring an aluminum coil cover imprinted with the words “Powered by Ford.”
A little bit before this time Coletti was offered a career opportunity to lead the Ford GT engineering program. The only thing that he had to do was to deliver the first three cars to Ford’s Centennial celebration. Coletti teamed up with Neil Ressler, a former Ford vice president who left retirement to consult on the program, to quickly select the Ford GT “Dream Team” of engineers and consultants. Neil Hannemann was tapped to be chief program engineer and oversee the day-to-day development of the Ford GT after years of cross-industry supercar engineering assignments.
The Ford GT features many new and unique technologies, including super-plastic-formed aluminum body panels, roll-bonded floor panels, a friction-stir welded center tunnel, a “ship-in-a-bottle” gas tank, a capless fuel filler system, one-piece door panels and an aluminum engine cover with a one-piece carbon-fiber inner panel.
Braking is handled by four-piston aluminum Brembo monoblock calipers with cross-drilled and vented rotors at all four corners. When the rear canopy is opened, the rear suspension components and engine become the car’s focal point. Precision-cast aluminum suspension components and 19-inch Goodyear tires, combined with the overwhelming presence of the V-8 engine, create a striking appearance and communicate the performance credentials of the Ford GT.
The 5.4L powerplant is all-aluminum and fed by an Eaton screw-type supercharger. It features four-valve cylinder heads and forged components, including the crankshaft, H-beam connecting rods and aluminum pistons. The resulting power output is 500 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque. The power is put to the road through a Ricardo six-speed manual transaxle featuring a helical limited-slip differential.