Ford Admits The GT Was Benchmarked Against The Ferrari 458 Speciale

Jan. 18, 2015 4:52 PM ET by Jay Traugott Supercars / 152 Comments

Of course now we want to see a head-to-head showdown.

It was as if the new Ford GT came out of nowhere. There were a few rumors it would debut at Detroit, but it wasn't until the sheets were removed that we knew the naughty details. Well, Ford still hasn't revealed all of the new GT's secrets, but the company's global performance vehicle chief engineer, Jamal Hameedi, did admit something interesting. Interviewed by Automobile Magazine, Hameedi acknowledged the new GT was benchmarked against its 2005-2006 predecessor and the Ferrari 458 Speciale.

Ballsy move. What's more, Hameedi, when asked, isn't at all concerned that future GT customers will miss having a V8. "I think the last problem that we're going to have is finding customers for this car. The EcoBoost V6 is more efficient, has better horsepower and torque per liter, better fuel economy, more horsepower and torque per kilogram, and it's extremely package efficient. It really plays well to the tapering fuselage of the car. It really was the ideal choice for an engine," Hameedi states. So who are those future GT customers? Last gen GT owners, of course, as well as all other hypercar buyers. Ford is for sure aiming for the big time here.