2016 Ford GT Unveiled at NAIAS

Photo: Nick Busato

Ford unveiled Monday its new-for-2016 Ford GT at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The all-new production car, which is expected to serve as the base for the Detroit automaker’s factory GTE entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will launch in 2016, on the 50th anniversary of its first overall victory at Le Mans.

The all-new GT supercar features rear-wheel drive, a mid-mounted engine, and a sleek, aerodynamic, two-door coupe body shell. It boasts a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, derived from Ford’s current DP engine, and produces more than 600 horsepower.

The GT makes extensive use of lightweight materials, including carbon fiber and aluminum – enabling outstanding acceleration and handling with improved efficiency.

The all-new GT features advanced lightweight composites, which will help serve Ford’s entire product lineup moving forward.

With the broad application of structural carbon fiber elements, the GT will exhibit one of the best power-to-weight ratios of any production car.

“As we at Ford drive innovation into every part of our business, it’s worth remembering that our first innovation as a company was not in a laboratory, but on the racetrack,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and chief executive officer, referring to Henry Ford’s win of a 1901 car race that inspired financial backers to invest in his company.

“We are passionate about innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound.”

Also announced was that the new Shelby GT350R, which has been rumored to make a mid-season debut in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge this year, replacing its existing Multimatic-built Boss 302Rs.

Neither of the projected race programs were confirmed during the short press event.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John