A heavy-hearted Adam Davis headed to You Yangs to
sample the last ever GT and finds that the 351 kW figure is just for starter
Given its intimate knowledge with the FPV supercharged
engine program, it’s fitting that Prodrive was contracted to assist, its work
centering on the updating the Bosch ECU. “We introduced version 9.0 with the
RSPEC, but that was two years ago,” explains Prodrive’s Bernie Quinn. “It’s an
‘active’ system, and we have updated it with the latest software to make the
most of the GT F’s increased performance.”
RSPEC also donates its suspension tune to GT F, gaining
firmer dampers all-round, stiffer upper strut mounts and control arm bushings
to the front and firmer springs, thicker 19mm anti-roll bar a stronger lower
control arm and altered toe setting for improved steering response. Specific to
GT F are the adjustable rear camber bolts which allow for chassis fine tuning.
RSPEC’s 275/30/19 Dunlop Sport Maxx rear tyres, along with 245/35/19s up-front,
shroud Brembo’s premium brake package, fitted standard to GT F.
If the weather is cold or hot normal, then the extra
power is provided below. If the temperature rises too much, then the overboost
limited to 15 to 20 seconds.
As the cars were stripped of their silk covers, to reveal an
automatic in exclusive-to- GT F ‘Smoke’ dark grey and a Kinetic manual, Ford
Australia design manager Nick Eterovic took the stage to reveal the design
philosophy.
“We had to celebrate an icon so some of the design cues
trace their heritage back to the Ford GTs of the 1970s,” Eterovic said.
"There is a true sense of history and celebration with this car but we
wanted to make sure that we retained the most exciting elements of the current
range.”
The result? Well, you can see that for yourself. The black,
full-length stripe theme not only harks back to Falcon GTs of old, but also
takes in some Shelby influences.
Inside, the central ICC displays the vehicle build number on
start-up before transferring to a ‘virtual’ gauge display, showing boost
pressure, engine temperature and either transmission temp (auto) or battery
voltage (manual). There’s also a g-meter on display, primarily to distract
you...
But enough preamble. We’re here to drive. We’re thrown the
keys to a manual GT F development vehicle and sent out for some 160km/h laps of
the You Yangs’ high-speed bowl. What a treat.
We’re here to
drive. We’re thrown the keys to a manual GT F development vehicle and sent out
for some 160km/h laps of the You Yangs’ high-speed bowl.
We’re encouraged to sample the launch control program and
with a momentary twist of wheelspin, the GT F bellows forward before I slam
into second and reveal the truth behind the power figures: this thing hauls as
hard as it howls. "We anticipate this will be a ‘mid-four’ [0-100km/h] and
‘twelve’ [0-400m] car,” suggests Justin Capicchiano, FPV project supervisor,
and there’s no reason to doubt this. It’s also incredibly linear in its
delivery, another key outcome of the Prodrive calibration program. I slow in
third before mashing the throttle.
The traction control light flashes, but it’s merely trimming
the excesses while still thrusting us hard forward where an earlier FPV would
slither and slow before trying again.
“Basically, [the system] gives you the maximum torque
available, given parameters such as steering angle and yaw,” continues
Capicchiano. In my short drive, I’m also able to test the Brembos (which have a
strong, consistent pedal) and note the nicely weighted steering.
We are then transferred to the handling circuit for a final
passenger hot lap in GT F production cars. Driven by one of Ford’s ‘top-tier
Stigs’, grunt and grip are deeply impressive for a car of such mass, so much so
that 1.0g is recorded on the meter as I slide around the passenger seat. The
chassis is nose-heavy but glued, with the Bosch DSC barely intervening. It
assists performance rather than hinder it when it does come to the party.
As I return to normalcy beyond the You Yangs’ grounds, any
doubts I had about the GT F not supplying the performance to back up its final
edition boasts have been blown out of the water. It’s a GT-HO in everything but
name, and a true future legend.
It’s a GT-HO in
everything but name, and a true future legend.
