2005 Ford GT

2005 Ford GT      The first impressions verdict: The GT turns in like a Pitts stunt plane, changes directions like a polo pony, makes short work of tricky passing situations, and stops right now. The steering is quick and communicative, the pedal layout encourages heel and toeing, and the location of the shifter for the six speed Ricardo gearbox is, not to put too fine a point on it, perfect. Car and Driver, Nov. 2003, in their third article on the forthcoming supercar.  For consignment, a 2005 Ford GT coupe with a title verified 10,525 actual miles. They were built to be driven and are driven, to everything from Cars and Coffee to Concours events and everything in between. Here's a fantastic example for the discerning enthusiast; a car that may have surpassed the vintage Cobras as the most desirable dream car on the planet.  Exterior Of the 2002 Ford GT's built for 2005, 217 of them were ordered with Midnight Blue Metallic and the full stripe kit which included wide painted bands on the horizontal surfaces and side stripes along the rocker. This example's unique configuration deletes the side stripes and adds a thin, red border to the top stripes, a subtle accent that is striking up close. Of course, the design of this car could probably absorb any color without issue, but 265 owners chose dark blue and we're guessing no one regrets the choice. The body was built for aerodynamics and as such, ducts and louvers are numerous including cavernous vents on the hood designed to smoothly expel air coming through the gaping grille. Side ducts collect adjacent air and send it through the rear grille, all in an effort to reduce drag; the end result being a fantastic and of course, iconic design. The rear window shows off the engine and rows of louvers shed hot air. Imperfections are few and include a surface scratch, a single inclusion in the paint, a scuff on a hood release, and numerous rock chips.  Interior Robust nickel and black materials begin on the door panels, here with minimal coverage to save weight but including power window and lock switches showing that track inspiration can only go so far on the car intended for street and comfort! The grommet filled buckets seats, however, bring it back to the racetrack, lightening the seat with a sporty look and black leather foundation with the driver's seat showing a touch of wear on the entry side bolster.  An airbag is tucked snuggly into the center of the sport steering wheel that frames the flat bottomed tachometer straight ahead. Then, the appropriate number of gauges and toggle switches line the dash and a McIntosh AM/FM/CD radio resides near the red start button. The center console and shifter are clean and smooth to emulate the aluminum construction of the race cars, and the minimalistic design is right at home ahead of aluminum knobs for the A/C and an armrest. In the rear view mirror, the supercharger emerges behind glass, as if a curated piece of jewelry.   Drivetrain That precious gem behind the glass is a 5.4 liter DOHC supercharged V8 putting out 550 horsepower. The Ricardo M7003GT 6-speed manual transaxle routes power to the Dana S-130 limited slip differential with 3.36 gearing. Visually, the bay looks fresh and the engraved signatures of the hands that built it remain.  Undercarriage A series of panels and tunnels route air effortlessly under the clean underside of the car and rear splitters fall just below the center exit exhaust. It's clean underneath with not much visual contact with componentry, unless you remove some panels. We do note some scrapes, dings and a tear in the metal of the underbelly pan. Dual exhaust travels through original equipment mufflers before exiting in the middle of the rear fascia. Power disc brakes are behind all four BBS wheels and independent coil spring suspension is at both ends.   Drive-ability As Elvis once said, tough way to make a living, boys as we roll this supercar onto the test loop. Elvi