Ford went in a different direction for the traditionally truck-heavy Chicago Auto Show, instead showing off its low-slung GT supercar in updated 2020 form.
The GT has been on sale for a few years now, making it a prime candidate for a mid-cycle glow-up. The Blue Oval hasn’t massively changed the recipe here, instead zeroing in on a few key aspects to improve what’s already essentially a race car for the road.
Headlining the changes is a boost in max output. Power now sits at 660 hp, up a baker’s dozen over the 2017–2019 models. Ford has massaged the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine’s entire operating range, widening the torque curve. It also features mechanical upgrades gleaned from the track-only GT Mk II.
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The GT should sound better now too, thanks to a standard Akrapovič titanium exhaust. The Slovenian pipe pros have worked their magic on the GT, resulting in a deeper tone—and a nine pound reduction on the scales too.
Those unique flying buttresses feature their own set of improvements. The air ducts within are redesigned, improving air flow by 50 percent. Meanwhile larger intercoolers should keep incoming air cooler for longer, maintaining peak power even in high-temp track time.
Exterior options swell for 2020 with two new paint choices. First is the Liquid Carbon, sticking to nothing but a clearcoat over the GT’s bare weave. The wheels are made of the stuff too, though caliper and stripe options allow lucky buyers the ability to add some dashes of color.
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The other new paint option is an updated Gulf Racing Heritage livery. A black pinstripe divides the iconic blue and orange hues, meant to evoke the 1968-69 Le Mans-winning GT40. Meanwhile the optional carbon fiber number changes from last year’s 9 to 6, mirroring the history of that two-time winner. New for the Heritage is the option of the carbon fiber wheels.
Deliveries of the 2020 version of the Canadian-built GT are already happening according to Ford. If you want one, you won’t have much longer to get it, as production wraps in 2022.
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