All of us that were car enthusiasts throughout the decades remember what we were seeking in our vehicles. Performance! Even now with our classics, we sacrifice braking, traction and handling for speed and acceleration. But, there is an alternative such as modifications and going retro in areas that maintain the integrity of the characteristics that we lose by gaining more speed.
Rick Duncan, President of Myclassic NEWS said “I remember when I bought my first car in the 70’s. The speed was there, but if the road was wet I had to take that into consideration and as a teenager I always didn’t take enough into consideration. I also had to be cognizant of braking, because the cars of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s definitely had a ratio of speed and braking that could be problematic. After reviewing the Ford GT’s 5 drive modes it is apparent that our supercars are evolving into perfection. As the years have passed, auto engineers have had some difficulty in maintaining safety when combined with speed, but it’s a new era. Can’t wait to drive a new GT.”
Last week Ford announced that the all new GT comes equipped with five drive modes.
NORMAL MODE: Without compromising control, comfort button allows the driver to soften the car’s ride on bumpy roads by adjusting compression and rebound in the dampers. The rear wing deploys automatically for aero assistance at 90 mph, returning to its stowed position at 81 mph. The wing still deploys as an airbrake if sensors detect aggressive braking.
WET MODE: In the wet mode the GT’s ride height and other systems remain in there default settings, except for the throttle control calibrations. The throttle control is adjusted to limit the induction of slipping and sliding – enabling greater stability when driving in potentially dangerous elements.
SPORT MODE: Activating Sport mode grants the driver a more responsive throttle calibration to further open up the car’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine and anti-lag system. Developed on the Le Mans-winning Ford GT race car, the anti-lag system keeps the turbo spinning to provide boost on demand. For Sport mode, ground clearance remains 120 millimeters, but that’s about all that remains. There’s no longer a comfort feature available, while AdvanceTrac® stability and traction control become driver-adjustable allowing three additional settings. Additional slip, yaw and oversteer are allowed so drivers can push harder and have more fun sliding the car around. “Driver-demand calibrations get more aggressive – where slight changes in throttle result in faster acceleration,” explains Terzes. “Gear changes are more rapid, while clutches disengage and engage very quickly for maximum acceleration.”
TRACK MODE: This mode is for the extreme. Ford says: “Track mode is absolutely hardcore and optimized strictly for race conditions.” A turn of the knob activates hydraulics that drop the ride height 50 millimeters. Spring rates increase, while damping goes to its firmest setting. The rear wing – complete with Gurney flap – deploys, and the aerodynamic openings in the front close for maximum downforce. All of this happens in under two seconds. “This mode is for track use only,” says Terzes. “Even coming from Sport, control is significantly different – dramatically so. In this mode, every aspect of the car is optimized for track use.”
V-MAX MODE: There’s extreme and the limit, then there’s beyond the limit. If you want to break the envelope, then the V-Max mode is it. As Ford says, V-Max is engineering-speak for “Maximum Velocity”. In V-Max mode the ride height is the same as in Track mode, but all aero elements are stowed to minimize drag. Stability controls remain active to help ensure the car moves forward in a straight line. “Ultimately, V-Max mode is designed with a single objective. For the GT to achieve its fastest possible straight-line speed. It works,” says Terzes.
There once was a time when owning a supercar meant compromise. Undeniably, the thrills were real, but the effort required to operate many a high-performance machine could overwhelm. With the all-new Ford GT, there is no such tradeoff. Ford Performance engineers set out to ensure being behind the wheel of the 647 horsepower carbon fiber supercar is an absolute joy regardless of driving conditions.
At Myclassic News we love speed and especially safe speed. Years ago with speed came danger and it still does. That element of danger is what excites us, but with new technology we can feel the speed and absorb the danger with a better feeling of security that we will go home and be able to do it all again tomorrow.
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