This Test Of The Ford GT40, GT70 And GT Is A Celebration Of Speed

If one were to assemble the greatest Fords in one place, then surely such an extravaganza would include the original Ford GT40 and its modern-day successor, the Ford GT. That's exactly what our crazy British friends at XCAR did recently, and they brought a surprise friend along for fun.

They start, obviously, with the GT40, which is the result of one of the greatest stories in all of car and motorsport history. To make a long story short, Ford wanted to buy Ferrari, Ferrari backed out in a dickish way, so Ford decided to beat them at their own game. Their own game being racing, of course. So Ford enlisted the help of Carroll Shelby to develop a car that dominated Le Mans in the 1960s.

Today, it's terrifyingly awesome to drive, according to XCAR presenter Alex Goy, whom I can't believe isn't wearing a helmet for this.

The next car is one that may not be as well-known to Americans, but it still deserves attention. The GT70 was an obscure and ultimately failed attempt at a rally-going supercar powered by a 2.2-liter V6. Sadly, the plug was pulled when rally regulations changed, and so Ford focused (see what I did there?) on the Escort, which has a much more prestigious dirt racing pedigree.

XCAR was unable to get the greatest concept car ever made, the GT90, for this test. But they do follow up with the spectacular Ford GT, which ran for a scant three model years in the 2000s. We'd certainly love to have that one back. Yeah, Ford? Maybe?