Not that the Ford GT supercar was slow by any stretch of the imagination – it does a sub 3-second 0-100km/h along with a top speed of 345 km/h – but Ford has managed to find some budget to give its carbon fibre rocket a midlife upgrade of sorts, and made available some rather delectable exterior options.
Let’s go through the mechanical bits first. Ford has freed up more horses from the GT’s 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 through revised engine calibration, ‘gallery-cooled’ pistons and a higher energy ignition coil; items which are adapted from the track-based GT Mk II. The good stuff bumps output from 647 hp to 660 hp.
And then there are new buttress air ducts for improved engine cooling and airflow (by 50%) along with larger intercoolers to cool charged air temperatures, particularly useful for demanding track work. Additionally, suspension damping has also been revised in ‘Track Mode” for tighter handling and body control on race circuits.
For the lucky few who have the means to own the GT, they’ll be happy to know that a titanium Akrapovic exhaust system is now a standard fit from 2020. Aside from a more full-bodied soundtrack, there’s also a 4 kg weight savings, every bit counts when you’re a supercar.
But what’s really eye-catching about this 2020 model year update is the availability of two new exterior finishes – Liquid Carbon and an updated Gulf Racing heritage livery. The former being a special clearcoat over raw carbon fibre, complemented by carbon fibre wheels, optional titanium lug nuts and five different brake caliper colours to choose from.
While the latter – the GT’s iconic Gulf Racing heritage livery gets a new design that includes a black pinstripe to divide the distinct blue and orange colours, harking back to the 1968-69 Le Mans-winning GT40.
The optional carbon fiber number switches from 9 on the 2019 model to 6 for 2020, matching the historic back-to-back winning car’s chassis No. 1075. And you can spec the heritage model with carbon fiber wheels as well. Wow.
The Ford GT is expected to end production in 2022.
Ford GT 2020 gallery
