The Ford GT is among a few cars that draw as close as you can get to truly fulfilling the “race car for the road” cliché. After all, the original was designed for the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. But before it ever set its tires down in France, the GT had to prove it was up to the job, and its first ever endurance race win came at Daytona in 1966. In order to mark the 55 year anniversary of that stepping-stone victory, Ford is offering the iconic Mk II GT’s racing livery on the GT supercar of today with yet another Heritage Edition.
That original Mk II GT featured a unique mostly white paint scheme with red and black accents, and the same colors have been applied to the new car. The blacked-out hood of the original has been kept, but instead of using black paint, Ford relies on a bare carbon fiber weave to pull off the darkened effect. The asymmetrical red accents that feature at the front, back, and the sides of the original car are replicated on the new GT, as well. There is also the number 98—the same number the Daytona winning car wore—on the sides of the Heritage Edition.
Gold painted 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels sit over red brake calipers, but the GT’s carbon fiber wheels—that don’t quite complete the look the same way—are also available. Inside, the performance seats are covered in red Alcantara. The paddle shifters are red and contrast the black Alcantara on the instrument panel, headliner, and steering wheel.
If celebrating Ford’s rich racing history isn’t your thing, however, there’s also the new Studio Collection graphics package. Designed by Garen Nicoghosian, the Head of Design at Multimatic—a Canadian company that manufactures the GTs—the graphics package features a set of stripes that reach over the top of the car, stripes that emphasize the flying buttress B-pillar, and stripes that extend from the headlights down the flanks of the car.
The new designs look pretty sweet, and Ford says only 40 GTs from both the 2021 and 2022 model years will be eligible for the livery. That said, we think the new Heritage Edition takes the cake here. After all, who wouldn’t want to drive around in an homage to Ken Miles?
