Recent rumors have been proven right; Ford has a very special new variant of its GT supercar on the way, as the model prepares to enter its fifth year in production at Multimatic's Ontario factory.

Say hello to the latest Ford GT Heritage Edition, inspired by the Ford GT40's first endurance racing win at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental race. This marks the first time that Ford has crafted a Heritage Edition GT in observance of that auspicious win, as previous Heritage cars all payed homage to the GT40's numerous Le Mans 24 Hour victories.

"For this Heritage Edition, the Ford Performance team went deeper into the Ford GT's race history," says Ford GT Program Manager Mike Severson. The company is celebrating 55 years since that earliest of GT40 endurance racing victories, which "would eventually lead to [Ford's] successes at Le Mans," he says.

The new Heritage Edition celebrates that milestone in style, with a sharp Frozen White exterior punctuated by Race Red livery and exposed carbon-fiber. It may not be as famous as, say, the Gulf livery that's adorned past Ford GT Heritage Edition models, but it's certainly no less fetching - especially in its modern, updated guise.

The new model features trapezoidal elements, an exposed-carbon roundel with the number 98 in a modern-looking script, and 20-inch forged alloy wheels in Heritage Gold over red-lacquered Brembo brake calipers. Inside, black Alcantara suede cabin appointments are interrupted by vibrant red Alcantara performance seats and anodized red paddle shifters.

A more obscure historical victory than the GT40's Le Mans wins, Ford's triumph at Daytona is no less deserving of commemoration. The automaker was utterly dominant, placing first, second, third, and fifth in the GT40 Mk II, led by drivers Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby, who outpaced the competition by some 30 miles.

But there's another exclusive, limited Ford GT variant also debuting this weekend: the Ford GT Studio Collection. Born out of a collaboration between Ford and GT manufacturer Multimatic, with special input from Multimatic's Head of Design Garen Nicoghosian, the Studio Collection car is distinguished by an all-new graphics package with customizable colors, which highlights critical design elements like the supercar's distinctive, functional cooling ducts.

"The combination of the stripes and accents invokes the emotion of speed and draws your eye to some of the most prominent features of the GT," Nicoghosian says. "The fuselage, buttresses and signature features on the headlights provide visual anchors for the graphics, guiding your eye across the vehicle."

Just 40 Ford GTs will receive the Studio Collection treatment, and only 50 examples will be made up in the latest Heritage Edition style, all of which are expected to sell out readily as they start deliveries early next year. The entire Ford GT model line is slated to end production in 2022, after a 1,350-unit run.