Next month it will have been a full year since the Ford GT made its surprise debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Since then, we’ve been treated to a never-ending parade of facts and marketing figures, from its monster 600+ horsepower EcoBoost V6 and uber-aerodynamic body to the carbon fiber wheels that shed weight and cost a pretty penny.
One thing we haven’t yet seen is the production-ready version of the Ford GT, as the concept has been making its way around the world. We know all too well that sometimes production versions of cool concept cars don’t live up to the hype, but if this picture from the Ford GT Forum Facebook page is to believed, we won’t have any such issues with the new GT.
The above picture is purported to be the production version of the long-awaited GT, and as you can clearly see, it looks almost exactly like the prototype car that was unveiled a year ago. The best features of the Ford GT concept, like the glass rear hood, prominent wheel wheels, deep hood vents, and sloping Gorilla Glass windshield, all seem to have made it onto this version of the GT.
There are however slight changes that hint this is a more production-ready version of the 600 horsepower concept, the most obvious being the much-larger sideview mirrors. The GT concept had tiny little winglets of mirrors, but automotive regulations require side mirrors to be have certain proportion, regardless of the negative impact they may have on aerodynamics. Another hint that this is a more production-ready version of the GT are the gloss black accents on the front and side of the car, whereas the concepts all had matte black accents.
Other than that though, the concept and production models are nearly indistinguishable. That’s great news for the handful of people who will actually be able to afford the new Ford GT, which is rumored to have a price tag somewhere in the $400,000 range.