The New Ford GT: What You Need to Know

The 2017 Ford GT is built to compete with Europe's top supercars.

Credit: Courtesy Ford

Ford stole the spotlight at the Detroit Auto Show with the unveiling of its 2017 GT. The reborn GT continues Ford's supercar lineage, which began with the 1960s GT40, a nonproduction racecar that won 24 Hours of Le Mans four consecutive years. More recently, Ford created a production GT for the public from 2005 to 2006. That 550-horsepower, supercharged beast was limited to a production run of roughly 4,000 cars before shutting down.

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Now, Ford says production will begin again in 2016, and while details are scarce, the car is expected to compete at Le Mans next year. The auto company also shared that the previous GT's 5.4-liter V-8 will be replaced by a more powerful, "at least 600 horsepower," turbocharged, 3.4-liter V-6. The smaller, yet high-performance, motor speaks to Ford's push for greater efficiency in the new supercar. Another smart upgrade is the replacement of sheet metal body panels and metal construction with significantly lighter carbon fiber parts.

Other details include an adjustable rear spoiler, a control-filled F1-style steering wheel, and semi-automatic seven-speed transmission. No price has been announced, but the most recent generation of the GT sold for at least the MSRP of $150,000.