40 march 2015 motormag.com.auF
ord has promised 12 new global
performance cars between
now and 2020. That was Ford’s
message at the recent Detroit
Auto Show that casts a bright glow on
the horizon for Aussie Blue Oval fans so
recently accustomed to gloom and doom.
One of the biggest talking points
was just how dramatic Ford’s push
on the performance car front has
suddenly become, punctuated by three
of the event’s biggest showstoppers:
the resurrected GT sportscar, track-
focused Mustang Shelby GT350R and
ostentatious F-150 Raptor.
A demonstration of Ford’s mindset as
it marches forward with the One Ford
globalisation of its product ranges,
Ford’s performance pitch at the Detroit
show not only overshadowed but pushed
against the industry grain of fuel
consumption/emissions reduction trends.
Despite the ever-present Ecoboost
marketing pitch, it was a clear message:
Ford wants to party and be taken very
seriously as a performance figurehead on
road, track or beaten path.
All three production preview cars at
Detroit demonstrated a Ford pushing
go-fast extremes with little sympathy
for tree-hugging. Its revamp of the GT
specifically showcases Ford’s ability
to design and engineer hyper-exotic
machinery capable of matching Europe’s
best on holistic merit rather than just
outright pace.
The F-150 Raptor, with its all-alloy
bodywork and twin-turbo V6 and
10-speed powertrain, also demonstrates
that Ford is bold enough to build
bespoke, segment-leading model ranges
in relatively low volumes.
Meanwhile, the Shelby GT350R (and
regular GT350), with its specialised
flat-plane-crank 5.2-litre V8, shows Ford
will go the extra yards, if necessary,
to recapture the pedigree of its most
revered heritage.
The crucial context, though, is that,
officially at least, none of the three halo
cars are due to be sold outside of North
American and Canadian markets.
However, Ford’s top brass used
the Detroit forum to announce itsinternational go-fast game plan loud and
clear, confirming it will offer “more than
12 new performance vehicles through
2020 to be available globally.”
In doing so, the carmaker formally
announced its Ford Performance brand
which, it explains, “[unites] regional
performance and racing teams as one
global team under Ford Performance”.
Essentially, the new banner absorbs
and combines the collective resources
of Blue Oval skunkworks such as SVT,
Team RS, Ford Racing and, of course,
Australia’s own FPV.
Lead by global director Dave Pericak,
Ford Performance will maintain various
regional engineering departments
throughout the world to “develop new
vehicles and technologies” and has
established a primary technical centre
of sorts in Charlotte, North Carolina. A
wide network, then, but one filter with
which Ford’s enhanced product will be
funnelled through moving forward.
“The Ford Performance organisation
[serves] as a laboratory and test bed to
create unique performance vehicles,With Ford claiming the GT will boast “one
of the best power-to-weight ratios of any
production car”, you can bet a lot of its
exterior will use the carbon-fibre that has
also been used for its passenger cell.THE GT’s dramatically-styled body is not just
for show, it also incorporates active-style
aerodynamics. The rear-spoiler is capable of
changing pitch and height.Ford’s GT concept features not only carbon-
ceramic brakes but also carbon-fibre
20-inch wheels at each corner. Pushrod type
suspension ensures everything is state-of-
the-art.With Ford claiming the GT will boast “one
of the best power-to-weight ratios of any
production car”, you can bet a lot of its
exterior will use thecarbon-fibre that has
also been used for its passenger cell.THE GT’s dramatically-styled body is not just
for show, it also incorporates active-style
aerodynamics. The rear-spoiler is capable of
changing pitch and height.Ford’s GT concept features not only carbon-
ceramic brakes but also carbon-fibre
20-inch wheels at each corner. Pushrod type
suspension ensures everything is state-of-
the-art.