Ford has dipped into its race-winning past for a limited-run of Ford GT Heritage Edition variants, but the one we love is the Daytona-inspired GT.
The Ford GT is America’s only Le Mans-winning supercar but what we’re looking at here is homage to its first-ever endurance win with the Ford GT40 at Daytona in 1966, boasting the same livery as the race-winning car.
That win at the Daytona 24 Hour Continental was captured in the recent Hollywood film, Ford v Ferrari or, Le Mans ‘66 to give it it’s European title. Co-drivers Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby led a 1-2-3-5 Ford domination at Daytona, with additional 1-2-3 wins at Sebring and Le Mans.
“Miles and Ruby led nearly every lap of the 24-hour race and outpaced the competition by 30 miles,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. “The win was the first time anyone had threatened Ferrari’s dominance in sports car racing and represented a turning point in the Ford GT race program.”
“For this Heritage Edition, the Ford Performance team went deeper into the Ford GT’s race history and crafted a limited-edition model that stylistically honors the 55th anniversary of the Daytona 24 Hour endurance race that would eventually lead to our successes at Le Mans,” said Severson.
The white, black and red exterior is inspired by the 1966 GT40, with the new car featuring Frozen White paint and an exposed carbon-fibre ‘bonnet’. There are asymmetrical Race Red accents on the front fascia and roof edge, driver’s side door and underneath the rear wing, while exposed carbon-fibre features on the signature 98 roundel graphics.
Ford graphics on the lower rear-quarter panels plus one-piece Heritage Gold 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels paired with red lacquered Brembo monoblock brake calipers complete this new exterior livery. Inside, there’s black Alcantara suede wrapping the instrument panel, headliner and steering wheel rim, while anodized red paddle shifters and red Alcantara suede performance seats cap off the interior tweaks. For those who want a little more, the cost-optional Heritage Upgrade Package includes 20-inch exposed carbon fiber wheels with gloss red-painted inner accent barrel, while monoblock brake calipers are lacquered in black and detailed with Brembo lettering in red.
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