2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition is chock full of vintage racing livery
Ford has unleashed two new versions of its GT supercar for 2021: GT Heritage Edition and Ford GT Studio collection. The Ford GT Heritage Edition pays homage to the American carmaker's historic victory at the Daytona 24-Hour endurance race 55 years ago. The car in question is a 1966 Ford GT MK II driven by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. According to Ford, the GT Heritage Edition is the first to feature vintage racing livery famous for a race other than Le Mans.
"For this Heritage Edition, the Ford Performance team went deeper into the Ford GT's race history and crafted a limited-edition model that stylistically honors the 55th anniversary of the Daytona 24 Hour endurance race that would eventually lead to our successes at Le Mans," said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. "The win was the first time anyone had threatened Ferrari's dominance in sports car racing and represented a turning point in the Ford GT race program."
The 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition is festooned in retro livery including Frozen White paint and a contrasting carbon-fiber hood, exposed carbon-fiber panels, signature 98 roundel graphics, and asymmetrical red accents on the driver's side door, roof edge, and rear wing. Unique to the new Ford GT Heritage Edition is 20-inch Heritage Gold forged alloy wheels, Brembo monoblock brakes with red calipers, and bespoke Ford graphics on the lower rear quarter panels of the vehicle.
The interior also receives the vintage touch with anodized red paddle shifters, red Alcantara suede seats, and black Alcantara on the headliner, steering wheel, and instrument panel. The optional Heritage Upgrade package throws in 20-inch exposed carbon-fiber wheels with red-painted accents on the inner barrel, black Brembo calipers, and ghosted 98 roundels to complete the racing vibe.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Ford GT Studio Collection offers customizable colors and a new graphics package. This package allows Ford GT clients to further customize the look of their rides with seven standard body colors along with a bevy of racing stripes and unique accents in custom hues. The exterior graphics are the brainchild of Ford Performance and Ford GT manufacturer Multimatic.
"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," said Garen Nicoghosian, Multimatic design head. "The fuselage, buttresses and signature features on the headlights provide visual anchors for the graphics, guiding your eye across the vehicle."
However, only 40 units will receive the Studio collection Package across 2021 and 2022 models of the Ford GT. The first customer deliveries will begin in early 2021, according to Ford, and production of the Ford GT supercar ends in 2022.
Ford has yet to divulge pricing, but we reckon it'll cost almost the same money as a LeMansory Ford GT, which is a lot. Standard on the 2021 Ford GT is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 660 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque.