This 700 Horsepower Ford GT Mk II Is A $1.2 Million Track Monster

Ford GT Mk II

Only 45 of these cars will make it to owners.

Provided you could actually get your hands on one in the first place, an ordinary Ford GT cost $400,000. This, as you may have guessed by the racing livery, is a bit more expensive than that. This is the Ford GT Mk II, a limited-run model meant to send out the current generation with a bang. And it does just that, as the sticker price is a whopping $1.2 million, and Ford is only going to build 45 examples.

Ford GT Mk II

And no, it’s not road legal.

Mind you, there is a bit more power added to the equation for that price. The 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine has been massaged to produce a nice, round 700 horsepower — 43 more than the standard production model. It’s also 200 horsepower more than the actual Ford GT racer, as this road car is not limited by any racing sanctioning body. The race car rolled out in 2016 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s conquest over arch-rival Ferrari at Le Mans. Back in 2016, it also won the 24 Hours or Le Mans race. Now, the Ford GT Mk II is setting up at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

According to Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product development and purchasing officer, “The GT Mk II unleashes the full performance potential of the Ford GT without any artificial performance limitations dictated by racing sanctioning bodies. It’s the closest GT owners can get to the Le Mans-winning performance and exhilarating feeling of crossing the finish line in the Ford GT race car.”

Ford GT Mk II

Improving the Ford GT

This track-focused GT hinges around aerodynamic improvements, as well as the increased grunt. Ford removed the street car’s adjustable ride height and drive modes, saving 200 pounds. They also fitted Multimatic DSSV shocks with a lowered, fixed ride height to improve handling and reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible. Ford installed a roof-mounted intake to handle engine, clutch and transmission cooling, allowing the Ford GT Mk II to take on more serious track duty.

While the Mk II gets more power, it uses the same carbon ceramic brakes as the standard street-going model. That includes 15.5-inch discs up front and 14.1-inch discs in the rear, each end fitted with Brembo aluminum calipers.

Apart from debuting at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Ford GT Mk II will also compete in a supercar shootout.