2017 Ford GT Orders Open Today, Online Configurator Live

It’s here! Kind of. Ford has officially opened bookings for their new GT supercar and, to make it easier for the rest of the world to better imagine owning one, the online configurator went live as well.

Production of the very limited run 2017 Ford GT will be split with just 250 cars being made this year and the following 250 coming next year. That’s it. For now, it's uncertain whether Ford will choose to manufacture another 250 examples in 2018 and beyond. 

If you’ve got some monies amounting to the mid-US$400,000 range, the booking window is now open for this year’s quota of Ford GTs, but won’t be for very long: April 13th to May 12th. The blue oval have not disclosed the exact amount the car will be sold at or what options will prospective owners be allowed to choose from, if any.

Buyers that have had their applications approved will be contacted through the Ford GT Concierge Service and be guided through the transaction process from there, which must itself be quite a special experience.

To recap, the new second-generation Ford GT will have over 600hp (447kW) generated from its twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine and, as projected by Ford, should have one of the best power to weight ratios of any production car.

As stunning as the car itself looks, its shape is informed by function through copious use of active aerodynamics. Underneath it has racing-derived technologies such as a carbon fibre and aluminium construction and pushrod actuated suspension.

Ford is also planning on a resurgence back to some of its racing glory days, recalling the success of the original Ford GT40 at Le Mans. Indeed they were developing a racing version of the new GT alongside the production car.

Ford Predicts Manual V8 Mustangs To Fade In Demand, EcoBoost To Prevail

Driving enthusiasts always have a tender spot for a good old manual transmission, and if it comes attached to a rumbling V8 engine like it does in the Ford Mustang GT, all the better.

Truth is, as Ford sees it, that chosen combination might be flawed when skewed towards long-term use. And while buyers are clamouring overwhelmingly in favour of the more traditional muscle car recipe, the blue oval believes that as their sixth-generation Mustang matures through its life cycle, the 2.3-litre EcoBoost variants with an automatic transmission will prove to be the most popular model.

According to a report by UK’s Autocar at the opening round of the World Endurance Championship at Silverstone, Raj Nail, Ford’s head of product development, expects that the initial surge in orders for the V8 Mustang GT with a six-speed manual transmission will slowly decline in favour of the more fuel-efficient, easier to drive turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Nair said, “You’ll see by the end of the car’s production lifetime the sales will be split about 50/50,” he said. “Early sales are made up of people who have always wanted a Mustang, so they’ve ordered it in ultimate Mustang-spec – V8 engine and a manual gearbox. But later on, that trend will change.”

It is unclear whether he was speaking in the context of the UK market or if he expects this trend to propagate across all markets the the current Mustang is sold in. Taken conservatively, we can confirm that Nair at least expects it for the UK-market Mustangs.

This trend, he said, has been boosted by the more ‘exotic’ light that the Mustang has been seen under especially in countries that have traditionally not seen the likes of big, brash American sports coupes. In countries such as Germany, the stronghold of automakers such as Porsche, the Mustang outsold the 911 by more than 20 units in March 2016.

We’re not sure if that trend applies to us in Australia where a V8 coupe is somewhat commonplace. And certainly a manual transmission needs to be enjoyed in open and scenic roads, something that’s lacking here either.

It will be interesting to see how this prediction plays out.

The Ford Mustang with a 2.3-litre EcoBoost mill produces 233kW and 432Nm of torque whereas the Mustang GT armed with a 5.0-litre V8 produces 306kW and 530Nm. Both are available with either as a Convertible or Fastback (coupe).

Wald International Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S Tuning Package

Ahead of its unveiling at the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon in January, Wald International, a Japanese tuning company, have just released information on their tuning package for the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S. The changes are designed to give the car a significantly more aggressive appearance – although sadly with out the performance upgrades to back up the new look.

Wald International have given the car a fairly comprehensive redesign, which includes new bumpers both front and back, a new hood, new sideskirts, wheel arch extensions, a large rear spoiler, and a set of two-piece, five-spoke alloy wheels. It’s not the best looking aerokit out there. In fact it’s really a bit of an abomination. Especially at the rear, where it really screws up what was previously quite a nice looking back end.

Kia GT Concept

Kia has finally revealed the name and some additional details of their latest concept car. Thecar was previewed almost a month ago, but it’s only now that we know it’s called the GT. The Kia GT concept showcases the company’s first rear-wheel-drive platform, while also wearing the brand’s new styling language.

According to Kia, work on the GT concept started back in November of last year – although the idea of producing a sporty RWD car had been bouncing around Kia’s European design studio for some time. Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer said of the GT: “This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel drive car. The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.”

What will appeal to driver’s from almost every corner of the globe is the Kia GT’s drivetrain. Mounted up front is a turbocharged, direct-injection, 3.3 litre V6 which puts out 395 horsepower and 534 Nm (393 lb-ft) of torque. The transmission is handled by an 8-speed automatic unit. There aren’t any performance numbers yet, but with power output figures like that it should see off all but the best equipped German sedans – in a straight line anyway.

The Kia GT’s styling takes some inspiration from the Kia Kee concept from 2007, but it also features similar rounded lines to the quirky Kia POP concept from 2010 – albeit in a much more desirable package.

One of the key goals of the design team was to clearly convey the fact the Kia GT is based on a RWD platform. To do that they decided to give the car a long hood, a cab-rearward profile, muscular rear wheel arches and a neatly rounded tail. The unique a-pillar design is a nice touch, as are the complicated but stylish headlights.

Inside the Kia GT are single-piece bucket seats which seat neatly in the uncluttered passenger compartment. The designers deliberately chose to make the center console high and wide in order to accentuate the car’s sporty drivetrain. The glass instrument panel features three layers of organic LED lights. This not only gives the display a 3D quality, but also allows more information to be served up to the driver at any one time. Buttons mounted on the sporty three-spoke steering wheel allow the driver to select the desired data display.

The large red starter button and twist-and-go transmission selector are combined in a single compact unit, freeing up space on the central transmission tunnel.

Chrysler Review GT Concept

Did you like the Lincoln Continental 2025 concept which was displayed at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show? If your answer is yes, then you’ll probably be fairly enamoured with the Chrysler Review GT concept. The exterior design of both cars were penned by Colin Bonathan, and both cars are luxury GTs.

The proportions and stance of the Chrysler Review GT is just as imposing and intimidating as the Lincoln concept, and both cars are characterised by an expansive glass roof and sculpted wheel arches filled with enormous rims.

Up front, the Chrysler Review concept is dominated by Audi-like headlights, and a winged grille which – while a homage to the Chrysler badge – is more akin to that of recent Citroen concepts. From the rear, the concept has a Bentley-like vibe, but at the same time it also has plenty of its own character.

Aside from the pretty computer renderings, there isn’t any other information on the concept. And no, it won’t be going into production.