Just a couple of points, from personal observations. First off, there seems to be two very distinct types of posts on the Ford GT. There is the mutual respect post, whether someone is interesting in owning one or not............. and then there is the basic "it sucks" posts, which is someone trying to convince everyone else what a bad idea it is to like the car. I like the first type, and while the second type can be amusing, they all have a tendency to follow a similar path. That said, my thoughts are as such. I love the car. If anyone buys a supercar/exotic car because it is stone cold reliable, or has the best performance per dollar, then noone is going to buy ANY supercar/exotic car. We would just all run around in Pintos with $20,000 in mods. That is not what a supercar is. It more than just the sum of its parts. It is exclusivity, passion, and tactile feel. It is about much that cannot be summed up in numbers. If the Ford GT is what you want in a supercar/exotic car, then buy it. If not, then don't. It really is as simple as that. Also, if anyone wants to say how easy it is to buy a Ferrari, then they must already be on their dealerships "in" list. If not................ good luck. A couple of misconceptions. The GT's engine can easily handle 750hp all day long. It is a race engine (as in the parts involved). I say 750hp, because that is the advertised limit of the transmission. Also, according to all of the articles that I have read on the car........... the joy is in the driving. Every report has talked about how fantastic of a car it is to drive............ even when compared to cars costing much more. Thus, to bash the car based on your opinion of the interior (I saw it in person, and while simple, it is nice. Not Lexus nice, but it wasn't trying to be. BTW, all of the aluminum look, is actually aluminum), or on the fact that it is a Ford............. when never having driven it, is kinda silly. As for problems. The GT will have some, as do Ferraris, Lambos, Mercedes, BMW's, Vipers, and Vettes. None of us will buy any of these cars because we think they are Toyota Camry's. If we do, we are only fooling ourselves. So, to the original poster................ if you want one, buy one. If you don't like the markups that are there now............... wait. Many desirable vehicles started out with them, it is our choice to pay it or wait.
I was not a previous Ferrari owner and NOT on the dealer's preferred list when I ordered my 360 back in 2000. Did they know that I was interested? Of course. They put me on the waiting list when I became serious and put in my deposit. Waited for about 1 year and got the car at MSRP. A lot of local first-time Ferrari owners can attest to the same story. Very simple transaction. Now if the Ford dealers could pull that off, then they might catch my interest in the GT.
here's my non-smart-ass response. when i first learned of the GT, i ran down to my local ford dealer to "get on the list". i was and supposedly remain #1 on their list. but like all the other delaers, they're going to maximize their return on their current car (been on the showroom for nearly 4 months now, i think) via an auction or something (last i checked, they were simply "enteraining offers" - do the math). perhaps they think they can do that not at the expense of future buyers walking away. i want to spec my own car, so i want to order one. no dice. their second car (they say they're only getting the two) was spec'd by the dealership and also will be sold at auction or something. as i posted elsewhere, i was able to spend some quality time with one and i came away unimpressed with the fit and finish and materials (btw, clax's characterization of the exterior panels is spot-on, imo). net-net, i'm no longer a buyer. i might pay attention if they fall below msrp and i can order one to spec. more likely i'll look at the secondary market in 2007 or 2008 - but as clax points out, there'll be a LOT of just-as-beefy beasts by then, if not sooner. they had a stellar window. they blew it with the line shutdown/slowdown and the dealers pissing off all the buyers. they still believe the 50 and 60 something mustang buyers will pony up 150 large to 200 large for thousands of cars in the US, but i still think they're being unrealistic. doody.
Truck Trend has heard Ford rumours of a 500 V-10 going into the new SVT lightning. Im sure they could call shelby up and get them to tune 550, maybe 600 hp out of it, then shove it into the new GT.
My post about purchasing a new Ferrari being a hassle just comes from readin post after post about that exact subject........... on this site. I am glad that you have a standup dealership that treated you right. There are probably Ford dealerships that are treating their customers right also, however, there are plenty who are not handling this right. I would think the problem can be traced to the fact that this is the first high demand supercar/exotic car that they have ever had the ability to sell. This is no excuse, though............ just a reason.
and u might have to check out to do it. As for the Ford GT unlike other's I've actually driven one. It's a great car. Much better car than a 360CS IMO and my friend who owns the one I drove has both and I drove them back to back. His is being bumped up to 750 HP and He's shipping it to Europe for the summer vintage racing season to use it for transport between events. He'll put on about 7.5K miles over the summer if last years any indication. Last year he shipped over his CS as soon as his Ford's bumped up he's selling his CS. If you want one the real cost is 220K today. Even though I really don't need another midengined sportscar driving his has made me think about getting one.
Jim, So how does the GT40 compare to your real one? I realize your GT40 is 600lbs lighter but is it anywhere close in how it drives, handling, seating position and so forth or is it a totally different car ?
Mine is a MK-IV which is much different than a MKI/II/or III in both looks and how they drive. Also the driveline, brakes, etc, etc in mine are much different. The rear for example is a locker, the brakes are free floating. There is also NO sound insolation in mine and mine is rt hand drive. That said the DNA is there much as my P4's DNA is in a 360. Weight is a HUGE factor as well. My MK-IV weighs 2300lbs my P4 1800lbs. The HP in a Ford GT is about the same as in my MK-IV as the HP in my P4 is about the same as in a 360. Very light weight really makes a car IMO. If modern cars could loose 600 lbs, which I doubt they will, they would IMO feel a LOT better/faster. The Ford GT is a car you could drive every day a P4 isn't. For me the greatest difference is being able to drive without having to keep one eye glued to the temp. gauge. I'm really not the best judge. As my Sunday Drivers are out there I really like my Maser Coupe as my daily but if I didn't have a sunday driver I'd get a Ford GT. Part of it is that it does feel a touch like my MK-IV and that part is pretty cool. Blending in the scoops, painting it Gulf Blue with Marigold stripes, redoing the interior and bumping it up to 750Hp would cost less than it would to bring a g/murcie/430 to 750HP. Hey if you want something that you can drive everyday and beat an Enzo around the ring a CGT is the ticket. For me that isn't the issue. It's which one YOU want. There's no right or wrong about it.
Ford has been questioned about aquiring the DeTomaso name, they said no. The GT is their main focus in that type of car. As of right now, with DeTomaso folded, the future for a new Pantera does not look good.
Pretty easy to drive I think. Once over 5mph, the lack of power steering is not a factor. It's not a comfortable car (many owners at least upgrade the seats), but it's always my belief that exotic cars should look good, handle well, and go fast. Comfort is a fringe benefit, and not the goal. You think an original GT40 or Miura would be comfortable? Who cares! hehe
Fast, good looking and inexpensive to own..what morecould you want! If only a Ferrari was 1/2 as good.
To address the original question, my thoughts on the Ford GT: 1. I've never driven the car, so I can't comment on how it drives. It does sound pretty anemic, though I'm sure that's nothing that couldn't be addressed with an exhaust upgrade. 2. One of these sat in front of me for two weeks and I walked past it and around it over and over each day. The fit and finish are equal to that of a Taurus. Same paint job by Sunkist. Same sloppy rubber window surrounds. Definitely not what one would expect to find on a $50,000 car, much less a car that's selling for more than four times that amount. 3. Last I heard, these things had a suspension recall that Ford had not engineered a fix for. That meant that owners were notified that their cars were unsafe to drive and told to park them until Ford could come up with a solution. I never followed up to see if this had been resolved yet. If any or all of these points have been addressed here already, my apologies. I started reading through this thread but quickly saw that it had deteriorated into bickering over the complexity of the Pantera, so I just skipped ahead and posted my response.
lol, good call Wayne... and to my knowledge, they have not corrected the suspension issue yet - which means there are several people out there with $200k-ish cars that can't drive them...
GhostRider, If I had worn a helmet and ear plugs when driving the Pantera I would have been much better off. Without them I found myself tired after a spirited drive of 60-75 miles. Seventeen years later, I can drive twice as far (and fuel up and go twice as far again) on my ZX12R and not be as tired. Driving it was great fun, and I was sorry that he sold it as I didn't have a bike then, and to that time it was the fastest vehicle I had ever driven.
According to another website, production resumed about a week ago, and replacement parts are being sent out in VIN order. Ford is sending covered transports to pick up the cars from owners, and transporting them to the repair facility. The other minor issues will be resolved when the cars are having the control arms replaced.
I saw A GT the other day ( Not the cool concept one ) and agree with most of you Gentlemen. The quality of the workmanship is clearly within the norm of Ford Craftmanship. Shi$#y! Body panels and paint look horrible. Interior not impressive at all. You'de think they were slamming them together a Tuarus wagon when they put them into production. Even with the #'s it produces I now would not consider one. I'll stay with a car I know the builders to pride in building! Disappointed, Mike
Mark, I just pick up information from various websites. I will check BON (Blue Oval News, which is kinda the National Enquirer of automotive journalism, but people that actually work at Ford will come in to set the very ANTI Ford website owner straight (we think his mother was run over by a Ford). Another is SVTperformance.com. Then there is gt40s.com. Then there are your standard magazine forums. There really is not one site that I have found to cover everything, and certainly nothing with pictures. I would really like to find that also. I love the car, but my husband is completely engrossed by it. Needless to say, he gets Ford GT stuff for Xmas, and his Bday. LOL The book that you can buy on ebay has alot of neat pictures in it, and does show assembly. Thats my favorite so far. Sorry I couldn't help out more.
