This Ford Supercar model, the two seater Mid Engine Ford GT was first introduced at the North American Auto Show in 2002. One month after this release, Ford Motor announced that the car would be put into production. The car featured in this article is the 2006 Ford GT with a 5.4 liter mid engine turbo charged power plant. Output from this engine is 550 HP.
Ford GT and Ford GT40
The Ford GT is an all-American Supercar that was created in honor of the history of the GT40 race cars that dominated Le Mans in the mid-1960s. The new GT was designed for the road as opposed to the GT40 of the 1960’s.
The car is the street version of the Grand Prix race car. The body design and lines are stunning from any angle. Every curve and line on the Ford GT is a creative reinterpretation of the GT40 race car. The Ford GT is obviously a real head turner.
To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Ford’s first win at Le Mans, the 2006 Ford GT was offered in a limited-edition Tungsten Grey color. Ford Motor developed this color in 2004 for the show cars…the Ford GT, the Shelby Cobra roadster concept and the new 2005 Mustang GT. These were featured in the North American International Auto Show Ford “Performance Trilogy”.
The 2006 Ford GT was of the first generation (2005-2006). The second generation Ford GT’s will be out for the 2016 model year and will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the 1966 Le Mans victories.
Ford GT Vs. Chevy Corvette
There is no question that in 2006, the Ford GT was a competitor to the Chevy Corvette. Both of those impressive vehicles were true sports cars. With that being said, there were many wide differences. Start with the price tag. In 2006, the Chevrolet Corvette was priced at around $70,000. On the other hand, you would have had to pay around $140,000 for the 2006 Ford GT.
In ways other than price, the two cars were quite similar. While the Ford GT had a 5.4 liter V-8 engine putting out 550 horsepower, the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 sported a 7.0 liter V-8 rated at 505 horsepower. Both cars did do the 0-60 at 3.7 seconds.
The Ford GT’s 5.4 Liter Engine
The Ford GT engine was based on the largest V-8 in Ford’s modular engine family. This eight cylinder Ford GT engine has an all-aluminum block. with four valve cylinder heads. The crankshaft is forged steel and forged aluminum pistons. This engine allowed serious supercar performance. The 550 HP put out by this engine is generally comparable with the original, larger engine that went into competition GT40 cars. Those GT40’s were pure race cars that had impressive results at Le Mans. In 1966 they placed 1, 2, 3. Ford also had great racing successes with their GT40 race car at both Sebring and Daytona.
2006 Ford GT Specifications
As mentioned above, the 2006 Ford GT Supercar was equipped with an Eight cylinder 5.4 liter mid mounted engine producing 550 HP. The engine block was all aluminum with forged aluminum pistons. It’s said that the top speed for the 2006 Ford GT is over 200 MPH. Fuel efficiency is rated at 13 city and 21 highway.
Transmission on the 2006 Ford GT was a six speed manual with overdrive.
Dimensions of the 2006 Ford GT are different from the GT40 race car. The 2006 GT is 18 inches longer and 4 inches taller than the GT40. Dimensions for the 2006 Ford GT includes an overall length of 182.8 inches, a wheelbase of 106.7 inches, a width of 76.9 inches and a height of 44.3 inches. The car’s weight is rated at 3,350 lbs.
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2006 Ford GT Collector Values
The 2006 Ford GT is a popular sports cars with plenty of excellent owner reviews.Some believe the 2005-2006 Ford GT, sometimes known as the GT40, is the best American car ever built.
The first generation Ford GT’s sold for around $140,000, sometimes a bit higher. As of this writing, we see one 2006 Ford GT with a price tag of $285,000.
The Ford GT ended up being a fine investment. These Supercars are unique and, as mentioned above, Ford Motor Company will be producing the second generation GT’s beginning with the 2016 model year.
(Article and photos copyright 2015 Auto Museum Online)