Ford gets retro gloriously right with GT '66 Heritage Edition

Ford's GT is already pretty darn special, but if you demand even more super-exclusivity from your supercar, the blue oval has you covered. The automaker has taken the wraps off the 2017 Ford GT '66 Heritage Edition, a limited-edition version of its incredible coupe that's intended to honor the 1966 Le Mans winner.

Back in '66, that GT40 Mark II shook up the French endurance race when, with Bruce McLaren and Chris Armon taking turns at the wheel, it saw off European rivals to take the podium.

It proved to be the first of several victories at the race for Ford and the GT40 in particular, and unsurprisingly the company is keen to highlight the lingering DNA between that sixties car and this thoroughly modern version.

So, the GT '66 Heritage Edition gets a Shadow Black paint job – with either a gloss or matte finish – and then picks out the detailing with silver stripes and lashings of carbon fiber. Frozen White #2 graphics adorn both the hood and the doors.

As for the wheels, they measure 20-inches and are made of one-piece forged aluminum. They've been finished in gold satin clearcoat, with contrasting black lug nuts.

Stepping inside, and the carbon fiber seats get black leather trim, pillowed inserts, and plow-throw stitching, with embossed GT logos in the headrests. More ebony leather is used on the instrument panel, steering wheel, headliner, and the pillars, while the seat belts get blue webbing.

Gold appliqués appear on the instrument panel, shift paddles, and the X-brace on the seats.

Ford isn't saying how many of the cars it'll be producing, nor how much they'll destroy your bank account, but you can probably guess that it's only going to be a fraction of the already-small number of GT cars intended for production.

Indeed, the mid-$400,000+ supercar will only see 250 manufactured in the first year. A further 250 will arrive in the following year, after which Ford hasn't said what it intends to do with the coupe.

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Even the criteria for buying one is unclear, Ford using an invitation program whereby GT-hungry applicants can request a spot on the list and – after being judged on factors the automaker refused to divulge to us – possibly be given permission to cut a check.