Lightning McQueen Tribute Part 2: 2016 Ford GT40

Before we get into this week’s post, we just wanted to congratulate all of the fans cheering for the Spain team in the World Cup. If you got a chance to watch the finals of the World Cup on July 19th you would agree that it was an interesting game to say the least. Regardless, both teams played well, worked hard, and gave an emotional aftergame to the fans – especially the ones who loved Messi so much. For us, we were split in voting for the team that should win but in the end Spain was the reigning champion. To all the Argentina fans out there, please don’t give up, we know things won’t be the same in the next World Cup but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope. Remember if you really believe and work hard at something, nothing is ever truly impossible. 

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We hope you enjoyed the first of two releases and are as excited as we are to write about part 2! We promise the second half of this tribute will be just as interesting to read as the first one and mirror its shortness simply because with these types of cars, you have to drive it to really understand the feeling. Race cars look and mean many different things to people, most find them cool, some find them dangerous, and others are simply intrigued. Regardless of what they mean to you, there was at least one point in all of our lives that we loved movies, and if you’re one of those reading these that are forever kids at heart, we are right there with you always.

Overview

Just like Chevrolet is known for their sports cars, so is Ford, although some might argue that Ford has more of a history in this category than most of the other name brands (take the Ford vs Ferrari movie for instance). Between Chevrolet and Ford, Ford is surely the option that most people would opt for when it comes to these types of cars simply because of one model release and I’m sure you can guess which one we are referring to – that’s right, the Mustang. It didn’t take long after its release for it to be the face model of Ford and its variations that would follow its release would carry the same association for many years to come. Which brings us to the GT40 – another very iconic car for the company. This supercar was built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic 1-2-3 LeMans sweep, although this release excludes the original V8 engine in exchange for a 3.5 liter V6 (which we will dive deeper into in the sections to follow).   

Interestingly enough Ford ended the original production run for this car back in 1969 but released two modern versions – the 2005 GT and the 2016-2022 GT – both of which the company has ceased production now. All versions of this supercar were street legal despite the interesting shape and features the company made it with. For the 2016 release, expect to pay anywhere between $450,000-$600,000+ CAD. These cars were built in limited production runs and custom built for their customers which credits to the high price then and the way the Canadian and US dollar have been rising and falling over the years, today these cars carry around a value of well over $1M-$1.3M when traded at auctions and exotic dealerships.   

What’s New for 2016?

The most important fact of this car is that Ford decided to start a new modern production run in 2016 that would last for 5 years. As mentioned the classic V8 engine was swapped out for a 3.5L twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6, featured a carbon-fibre monocoque (a structural design where the outer shell of the object carries majority of the structural load, instead of relying on the internal frame), and active aerodynamics. 

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Under the hood of this beast one would find a 3.5 litre twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine – as we mentioned previously. Paired alongside a 7 speed dual clutch automatic transmission, this car was able to make 647 horsepower with top speeds of 216 MPH. When put to the test of going from 0 to 60 MPH, it was actually able to make it record timing – between 2.8-3.0 seconds flat. But this isn’t to get things confused with the replicas built or continuations of this car in 2016. Those have a completely different engine setup and were commonly equipped with either of the following options: traditional small or big block V8’s (depending on the builder) or the most notable 5.0 litre supercharged Ford FPV Miami V8 with capabilities of producing 470 horsepower. 

Infotainment and Connectivity

When it comes to the infotainment and connectivity section of this post, the 2016 Ford GT40 is equipped with the SYNC 3 system. It features an 8 inch central capacitive touchscreen that comes integrated with a broad and fully configurable digital instrument cluster. Ford packed it with a premium audio system because lets face facts, the best deserve the best, that is made from lightweight materials for the supercar’s cabin. The driver can also communicate with the car VIA advanced voice control that recognizes conversational tones and understands natural speech. It does come with a built in GPS system as well that allows for pinch and zoom capabilities and is integrated with SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link – basically one of the best ways to get reliable detailed information that is seamlessly integrated with the vehicle’s navigation system always keeping you in the know. 

Of course, like all of the other Ford cars, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both supported as well as OTA (Over-the-air) updates through the Wi-Fi supported SYNC 3 system. This allows for the vehicle to easily download software updates directly without needing to visit a dealer. In addition to all of this, there is also the Ford Performance app which allows the driver to connect their phones to the vehicles system to record data and also enables the driver to record driving metrics, view course overlays, and pop virtual gauges onto the display to analyse lap times and telemetry. Lastly there’s the F1-Free Style Steering Wheel which really helps to enhance the driver’s overall experience. Instead of Ford packing the infotainment controls onto the dashboard, the majority of the systems can be navigated directly via steering wheel-mounted buttons, helping to eliminate distractions.

Final Thoughts

This concludes our two part blog post and we hope all you gearheads and forever at heart children enjoyed our posts. Leave your favourite character from the Pixar Cars Lightning McQueen in the comments and then head on over to the post we have linked here for another interesting read.