Ford supercars

29 July 2008 09:00

The Blue Oval might be more at home building Escorts and Mondeos, but it too has dabbled in the superecar arena in the past four decades. And considering the company's main engineering focus, the two supercars it has built both qualify for CAR's landmark supercar status. The original GT40 was a rude shock to Maranello and took a string of racing victories home as proof; the newer GT was equally adept and more than one magazine placed it ahead of its Italianate contemporaries. Bravo the Blue Oval

Make and model	Year	Price	Engine	0-60mph	Top speed
Ford GT40	1965	£6700	4763cc V8, 306bhp, 329lb ft	4.0sec	154mph
	For	Do you really care that it was a racer first?
	Against	Dynamics and ergonomics betray those race-car roots
	Verdict	Looks more at home in Gulf colours than a plain road paintjob

The GT40 was mid-engined, low, fast and rare. But it wasn't the first supercar; it was a race car developed with the sole intention of beating Ferrari at Le Mans, which it did four times. The road versions were an afterthought

Make and model	Year	Price	Engine	0-60mph	Top speed
Ford GT	2002	£120,000	5409cc V8, 500bhp, 500lb ft	3.8sec	190mph
	For	The handmade, supercharged 5.4-litre V8 produces well in excess of the 550bhp Ford claims
	Against	Gorgeous, but styling is a straight lift from the Sixties original
	Verdict	Hugely impressive for a firm with no recent supercar heritage

Another supercar birthday present; this time from Ford to itself for its centenary. Just like its forebear, the new GT was an instant Ferrari-beater, with the first of the 4000 made selling for huge premiums