Ford GT and a V-8 are two things that go hand in hand, or at least they used to. The last-generation Ford GT succumbed to the downsizing trend and came with a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost. But when we are talking about replicas of the original Ford GT40, having a V-8 is a no-brainer. With this in mind, Doug from V’s Performance had something different in mind. After years of working closely with replica builder, Superformance, he has come up with, arguably, one of the most out-of-the-box Ford GT40 builds you have ever seen, and AutotopiaLA had an opportunity to see, hear, and feel this epic creation.
Doug – the owner and creator of this Ford GT40 resto-mod – admits that he had a completely different idea of how the car would look. However, back in 2017, he was watching Le Mans and saw the new, red, white, and blue livery of the Ford GT Le Mans racer, and the exterior theme was, there and then, decided. Other elements derived from the 2016 Le Mans race car are the tall rear wing and carbon-fiber front canards. The carbon-fiber front splitter is custom-made and keeps the front end planted – something the original GT40 had trouble with.
This isn’t the first bonkers, Ford GT40 build we have seen. Not long ago, we featured the Ford GT40 by Ruffian Cars and then there was the unholy hybrid between a De Tomaso Pantera and a Ford GT, both of which were also showcased on AutotopiaLA. The one presented here is equally as awesome and some of the biggest names in the business, among which HRE, K&N, RPG Racing Engines, Magnaflow, and others, have collaborated with V’s Performance.
After giving the Ford GT40 replica modern livery and modern aero, Doug who by the way is a V-8 guy, made an unpopular choice. He decided to shove a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 under the rear clamshell. The engine was taken out of a Ford F-150 and it wasn’t even the Raptor version, but the normal one, which in non-hybrid trim, packs 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm).
This one, however, was taken to RPG Racing Engines and currently makes 500 rear-wheel horsepower, which translates to 580 crankshaft horsepower. According to Doug’s words, giving the engine extra boost and E85, can easily bump power to 700. Power is sent to the rear through a six-speed manual transaxle.
The interior of the EcoBoost-powered GT40 replica is just as smartly thought out as the rest of the car. The original dash layout has been retained, but all contact surfaces seem to be leather-wrapped. The seats are custom-made for Doug, but he notes that they are able to make it so people as tall as six foot, six inches are able to fit in the cockpit. You know this is a faithful replica when you look at the right-hand-drive and right-hand shifter layout, which back in the day, was made purely for practical purposes like a quicker change of pilots during racing.
Despite the controversial engine choice, V’s Performance has come up with a perfectly-balanced speed machine. Also, thanks to the custom, Magnaflow exhaust, you would not believe that such a note comes out of a small V-6 engine, not to mention all the mechanical, race-car noises. For this, it’s better to check the AutotopiaLA video below, yourself, just in case you are not convinced yet. s for the engine of choice, you let us know whether it’s a yay or nay.
About Author
