Driving the Ford GT on Highway 1 Is the Stuff of Dreams (Car and Driver)
Ford's legendary supercar is more docile and comfortable than you'd expect, although I did need to use a throw pillow to fit in the driver's seat.
The 2021 Ford GT makes 660 horsepower from its twin-turbo V-6, comes in a new Ford Performance color, “Code Orange,” and … isn’t really designed for someone on the shorter side. The seats in the car are fixed, and the pedals move, but not quite enough for this un-tall driver. Luckily, Ford engineer Ed Krenz — currently chief engineer of the Ford Mustang, who previously oversaw the GT — managed to find a throw pillow somewhere. Did he steal it from the lounge in the Inn at Spanish Bay? Look, if it meant we got to drive the GT, we’re not asking too many questions, and the GT is plenty fast as a get-away car.
Before the great pillow heist, we did a quick walkaround of the car, and Krenz pointed out the extended intercoolers in the side pods, larger than in the 2019 cars. The change, made in 2020, allowed the team to bump up power numbers from 647 to 660. “It was all about cooling, sustained durability,” said Krenz, who says changes to the engine internally, such as under piston oil squirters, also encouraged them to turn up the wick. They also retuned the track mode after testing at Nürburgring.
Our early-morning drive down Highway 1 was toweled in fog, with occasionally glimpses of a stormy Pacific below us. Driven conservatively in Sport mode, the GT was docile, far more comfortable than one would expect from a carbon-fiber tub with fixed seats. Maybe it was the pillow cushioning the bumps, but Krenz said he’s really impressed by the Multimatic team’s suspension work. Which is not to say the GT isn’t still raw, drop the nose after a speed bump and it hits like a mobster’s fist on a table. Ka-chunk. No slow float up and down here. Still, this is a usable machine, and definitely an attention-getter.
(photo credit: Elana Scherr - Car and Driver)
