78 TOPCAR.CO.ZA|January 2016
knowing that we were going racing.’
Yet there’s more , beca use when asked
what he thinks is the most innovative
aspect of the new car, Pericak repl ies that he
can’t tell us untilit’s taken to the circuit in
anger. Seriously? What else is the GT
hiding? Something Ford feels gives it a
competitive advantage, that’s for sure – and
probably something to do with th e torsion
bar and spring suspension combo. Since
torsion bars and springs usually do the
same job, Pericak does admit that part of
the system’s smarts is the ab ility to use both
together or lock the springs out, radically
altering the effective spring rate, on the fly.
‘It allows us to really change the character
of this car. It’s really unique, and really
performing extremely well.’ Then he adds, ‘This is the
area where I’ve got to watch what I say.’
The most innovative aspect he can talk about? ‘How
we’ve beenable to lightweigh t the vehicle, and do it in a
way that is extremely ba lanced.’ Yes, ‘lightweight’ is a verb
now, that’s how crucial it is. As
for how innovative, ch eck out
the cabin. All of the carbon on
the inside is part of the
structural tub, including the
dashboard – a development
interior designer Amko
Leenarts believes is an industry
first. Doing this meant the
fundamental bones of the
cockpit had to be signed off
almost immediately beca use the
tub’s design had to be fixed in
order to allow the engineering
work to commence.
‘We had a really good design‘It’s not like
anything
you’ve ever
driven before.
It’s the most
well-balanced
car I’vebeen
in –ever’
philosophy from day one,’ Leenarts says , looking what
you’d swear was relieved, ‘which was ab out ge tting it as
lightweigh t as possi ble, celebrating negative spac es,
getting in a simplicity that was easy to read.’ Fo r instance?
Fixed seat s, the dashtop‘wing’ that hides the wiri ng and
echoes the exterior’s flying buttresses, and the graphics
used in the digital instrument cluster, which are
specifically designed for peripheral viewing; ‘We don’t
want anything distra cting when you are driving that car.’
200mm of steering wheel reach adjustment and moveable
pedals serve to make the driver comfortable, in place of
heavier seat adjustment mechanisms. ‘Everything that
we’ve done is to take weight out of the car,’ Pericak
reinforc es. ‘If we didn ’t need it, we didn ’t put it in there.’
But wait a minute –is this starting to feel like
Nürburgring syndrome at its worst? Could the new Ford
GT be so focused on delivering a decent racing
performance that the ro ad car is in dang er of becoming
unenjoyable? Even undr ivea ble? Not according to Pericak:
‘I’ve got quite a few hours logged already and when you
drive the vehicle it’s not like anything you’ve ever drivenBeneath Vader’s
vest lies a 3.5-litre
twin-turbo V6, perhaps
packin g 522kW