Ford GT Mark II: A Ride In Ford's Unrestrained Track Weapon
Screaming over the summit of Laguna Seca’s front straight at 132 mph, knowing there’s a sharp left-hand turn waiting on the other side, is when most people might rightfully get nervous. Hitting that summit at that speed ensures a momentary lift before the car’s chassis fully compresses on the far side, about where the downhill run encourages even more speed, all while the left-hander looms larger and larger in the Ford GT Mark II’s windshield.
Whatever sense of concern this situation might create in most cars, it generates nothing but perma-grin from my perspective, strapped tightly into the passenger seat of said Ford GT Mark II as the speedometer touches on 140 mph. At this point Laguna Seca’s hairpin turn 2 has gone from looming to embracing, entirely filling the Mark II’s curved windscreen as professional race driver Billy Johnson squeezes the GT’s brake pedal. Now it’s my torso’s turn to compress under the stopping power of the Mark II’s carbon ceramic brake rotors, slowing the Ford GT’s 19-inch Forgeline wheels and ultra-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport GT tires.
