After a failed attempt by Henry Ford II to work with Enzo Ferrari on a bid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in the year 1963, the once potential partnership turned into a personal grudge match. So, with assistance from British racecar builder Lola, Ford constructed its own GT car. Named for its 40 inch height, the Ford GT40 ultimately bested the Italians in1966 with a phenomenal 1.2.3 finish at Le Mans, forever securing the GT40's place in infamy. Ford continued to dominate the world endurance racing circuit through 1969, when Ferrari withdrew from the series.
Decades later, the true car guys at Ford's Living Legends Studio have lovingly crafted the modern GT40 concept first shown at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The same group that created the award winning Ford Mustang Bullitt , and Forty Nine concept, sculpted and honed clay models into a shape that is unmistakably GT40. A significant departure from the angular 1995 interpretation dubbed GT90 that helped usher in the "new edge" design aesthetic, the GT40 concept is a faithful rendition of the original in production capable form.
The GT40 concept should do three things: go fast, handle exceptionally well, and look great, To be true to its Ford heritage, they had to create a supercar that would be uniquely a Ford. Anyone can do technology showpieces, high displacement engines, and modernistic designs, but there's much more to a Ford GT40. There's heritage and heart. We think this car remains true to the spirit of its predecessors. And not forgetting that they also raised the roof on a model, this was seen at Top Gear for when Jeremy Clarkson drove it. The aim was so that tall people could enjoy the GT40 aswell.
The Ford RS200 was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations and based on Ford's Group B Rally car. Homologation rules stated that 200 examples of road going version must be created in order to compete in rally racing. The vehicle was so perfect that it held the Guinness Book of Records for being the world's fastest accelerating car.
The RS200 was created by Ford of Britain. It was based heavily on the European version of the Escort though its chassis was designed by a former Formula 1 designer named Tony Southgate. John Wheeler used his F1 engineering background to aid in the development. The vehicle was given all wheel drive and a mid mounted engine. Weight distribution was further improved by placing the transmission at the front of the car. Production lasted from 1984 through 1986. The body was constructed of a plastic and fiberglass composite and designed by the legendary firm, Ghia. The suspension was made up of a double wishbone setup with twin dampers on all wheels. The engine was a l.8 liter Ford four cylinder unit with Cosworth modifications. A turbocharger helped produce 250 horsepower for the road going versions and around 350 for the racing versions. Though some of the racing engines were highly tuned and produced horsepower in the 400 through 450 range.
Ford created the 200 road-going versions of the RS200 in compliance with FIA rules. They created additional spare parts which could have created in excess of twenty extra vehicles. These parts were ear marked for the racing efforts.
With a potent engine, lightweight construction, excellent weight distribution and all wheel drive the Ford RS200 was theoretically the ultimate machine. In reality, it lagged in the power to weight ratio in comparison to other vehicles. Also, the engine produced low RPM lag which made it difficult to be competitive.
The Ford RS200 best finish in Group B rallying competition came in 1986 at the WRC Rally of Sweden where it placed third. It did achieve mild success in other classes outside of Group B competition and it may have seen more in the Group B class but after one year of racing, the FIA disbanded the Group B and the RS200 became obsolete. The decision to disband came after Herni Toivonen and co driver Sergio Crestos died in an accident at the 1986 Tour de Course. Officials made the decision that the cars were too fast and posed to many safety risks. This was unfortunate on many fronts. The Group B racing was very competitive and just as exciting. To combat their shortcomings, Ford had planed on resolving the vehicles problems with the introduction of an (Evolution) version. The upgraded engine was estimated to produce between 525 and 800 BHP. The rest of the vehicles components were to receive attention such as the suspension, brakes, chassis, and more. 0 to sixty was estimated to take around 2 seconds. Its a shame they cant remake it.
And our next Blog will be called (Ford's Granada verses Scorpio)
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