The Ford GT40 '66 is a classic supercar appearing in the Gran Turismo series of games. It appeared in Gran Turismo 2, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, and, after a long absence from the series, it returned in Gran Turismo 6. It is also available in Gran Turismo Sport, where it was added as part of Update 1.15, released on March 29, 2018 and Gran Turismo 7.
Colors[]
There are seven available colors for this vehicle in Gran Turismo 2 and six colors in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, they are unnamed in both games:
- White
- Black
- Red
- Yellow
- Cypress Green
- Forest Green (GT2 only)
- Navy Blue
From Gran Turismo 6 onwards, only one unnamed color is available:
- Red
In-game description[]
"A much-desired Le Mans victory and an incredible 1-2-3 finish: a historic machine that opened the first pages of the legend."
In 1963, Ford attempted to buy Ferrari in order to improve their brand image through racing. Though the talks did not go well and the buyout did not happen, Ford then decided to collaborate with the UK race constructor Lola Cars, to whom they had been providing engines, and together they initiated a plan to develop a brand new racing car.
In 1964, based on the racing sportscar designed by Lola, the Mark I was completed, and was named the Ford GT. The commonly known name of 'GT40' was a nickname given by a reporter who was surprised by the 40 inch total height of the car.
A lightweight, aerodynamic body made of fibreglass was mounted on a steel monocoque chassis. This was combined with an all-aluminium 4.7 L V8 OHV engine, mounted amidship. The car debuted at the 1964 Nürburgring 1,000.0 km, and later, in the Le Mans 24-hour race of the same year, three Mark Is entered the competition. At the Le Mans it showed incredible speed, setting the lap record and achieving the first over 300 km/h run in Le Mans history, but it did not produce any results due to reliability issues.
From 1965 they commissioned their race activities to the famous Shelby American, and though they set the fastest lap record and the top speed record again at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, all cars retired out of the race once more.
In the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race, out of the 13 Ford GTs in the race, 8 were the advanced Mark IIs, with an improved chassis and a Shelby-made 7 L OHV V8. In addition to many other refinements, the power of the engine was improved from 345 BHP to 468 BHP.
Henry Ford II himself visited the circuit to watch the race, and Ford not only achieved their much sought after victory, they dominated the podium in an incredible 1-2-3 position win. From this year until 1969, the Ford GT would go on to win the Le Mans 4 years in a row.
Legend Cars (GT7)[]
When most people think of the Ford GT40, they think of Carroll Shelby, and they wouldn't be wrong. But it's worth mentioning that Shelby wasn't actually involved with the first GT40 Mark I, debuted in 1964. The Mark I was a car with a fantastic concept. I think the way it retains the look of a classic GT car makes it especially beautiful. The only thing the Mark I was missing was the reliability required for endurance racing. That's why Ford decided to hand a large part of its racing programme over to Carroll Shelby. The rest of GT40's glorious story is, of course, history. But the GT40 Mark I is where it all began, and obviously it's considered a prized collector's item.
Café (GT7)[]
Jeremy[]
This is the road version of the Mark 1 that raced at Le Mans in 1966. The Ford GT40 Mark 1 was announced in 1964. It was developed specifically to get the better of Ferrari, who were dominating Le Mans at that time. Three Mark 1s were entered into Le Mans in 1964, but they all had to retire without completing the race. In 1965, Ford put Carroll Shelby in charge of everything from development to strategy, with the same result... Then, in 1966, the Mark II was developed, completely overhauling the chassis and the engine. Eight Mark IIs and five Mark Is were entered into Le Mans that year. It was an overwhelming show of strength in numbers! Little wonder that Ford therefore managed to win Le Mans for the very first time!
Shiro Nakamura[]
I love this car—it's easily in my top three. Based on sketches by Ford designers... It was realised by a British team... That clearly knew how race cars should look and perform. Compared to the Ferrari 330P4 of the same year... The GT40 may exude less emotion, but it has a decidedly more modern silhouette. Of course, they're both nice, but I think I prefer the GT40. Note the expression created by the square headlamps and air intakes, a rarity in race cars. I find it to be aggressive and stylish. But there is also an elegant quality that is discernible despite the car's overall muscular nature. You'll see that it is expressed by the line running from the cabin to the rear. Although it hasn't been mentioned much before, it is not unlike the Lamborghini Miura. The Mark II added air intakes, which gave the car an even more intense look. Indeed, it is this part of the car that I find to be very alluring.
Acquisition[]
| Game | Buy From Location | Credits | Win From Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 2 | Ford Dealership (special section) |
500,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 3 | --- | --- | Win the Gran Turismo All Stars event in Amateur League (1/4 chance or 25% probability to be won). |
| Gran Turismo 6[1] | Ford Dealership | 2,800,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo Sport | Ford Brand Central | 2,800,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 7 | Legend Cars | 6,700,000[2] | --- |
Trivia[]
- The GT40 in Gran Turismo 2 and 3 is actually a 1969 car, as the description text for it in the former game claims it to be the last example built. In GT2, it can also be equipped with dirt tyres.
- During the development of Gran Turismo 2, a racing modification was originally intended to be available on this car. However, in the final version of the game the planned modification was turned into a separate vehicle, the GT40 Race Car. The incomplete race modified version of this car still remains in the game files and can be obtained through hacking devices, however it appears blank and untextured when viewed at medium or far distances.[3]
- This car is infamous for being a "cheater car" in Race 2 of the Historic Car Cup, going over the 295 hp limit normally imposed by ten.
- Despite cheating cars in other Gran Turismo 2 races exceeding the respective hp limits by far more (see Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C2) '67 in Race 3 of the same Cup), this car is also lighter than most other cheater cars, making it stand out more in comparison to its opposition.
- In addition, the race is set in Rome, a track where the AI is highly competent on. All of these factors result in a very high level of challenge.
- In Gran Turismo 6, is one of the five cars to have a 15th Anniversary Model that appeared prior to PlayStation 3 era. The others are the Lancia STRATOS '73, Cizeta V16T '94, Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Sport Coupe (C2) '63 and Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe '64, that was featured in Gran Turismo 2.
Pictures[]
.jpg "Ford GT40 '66 (GT3).jpg (155 KB)")
.jpg "Ford GT40 '66 (GT2).jpg (230 KB)")
Video[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Detailed; a special 15th Anniversary version of the car is also available with the 15th Anniversary Edition of the game.
- ↑ Price as of August 2023.
- ↑ Gran Turismo 2/Unused Cars on The Cutting Room Floor