Ford unleashes epic, track-only 800hp GT Mk IV

If it seems like not long ago that Ford said it was done with the GT, then well remembered. As recently as October the Blue Oval confirmed that the LM Edition marked the end of production, which paid homage to the race you might have heard the GT40 won a few times. And that was going to be that after five years. Only it wasn’t. Because now there’s the final track-only GT as well – the really rather awesome Mk IV.

The standard GT was already an extreme proposition, with its carbon tub and advanced aerodynamics. For the Mk IV, as you can probably see, everything has been cranked up quite significantly. Without the need for road homologation or a bothersome requirement to adhere to race rules, it’s a GT entirely uncorked, with 800hp from a larger Ecoboost V6 (Ford won’t say how big), a longtail body like it’s a McLaren F1, Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve suspension, and a ‘racing transmission’, which we’ll assume means a sequential. Unlike all those GTs that were meant to look like racing cars, this one really is. Only with more power.

It’s the new look that’s surely going to get the most attention, this reinterpretation of the GT Mk IV – the drastically different 1967 car that kept the GT40’s Le Mans winning streak going – being quite something to behold. The wheelbase of this car is longer than any other GT, just as it was for the 1967 car, which ought to benefit stability. Ford hasn’t yet made any claims for the downforce created by the radical new bodywork, but the rear end in particular is almost unrecognisable, stretched out for miles and with everything shrouded in aero addenda. No more jokes about the Angry Birds Pig now.

Elsewhere, the aerodisc wheels are fairly spectacular, and the intakes look like they could swallow humans whole. Much like the back end, the Mk IV’s front is so extreme you might need a second look to identify it. The GT was already a raw, demanding supercar, far closer to the motorsport experience than expected – this is going to be off the charts.

“The original GT Mk IV held nothing back for max track performance, and the new Ford GT Mk IV brings it in the same way,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “With an even higher-level of motorsport engineering and performance, plus a completely new carbon fibre body that is functional and striking, the Mk IV is the ultimate send-off of the third-generation supercar.”

Just 67 Mk IVs will be made, all put together at Multimatic’s facility in Ontario. Its executive vice president, Larry Holt, described the car as offering “an unprecedented level of performance”. Which is quite the claim from a company that specialises in racing cars. Those who want to experience the very final GT (until the next one) will be asked to part with at least $1.7m, as that’s the starting price. Ford has a new client application process to select the fortunate 67, as you suspect this GT will be more than a bit oversubscribed. Those who make the cut should receive their cars in late spring next year.