Ford GT Mark II: A Ride In Ford's Unrestrained Track Weapon

Karl Brauer Contributor


The Ford GT Mark II includes a more aggressive front air splitter

Screaming over the summit of Laguna Seca’s front straight at 132 mph, knowing there’s a sharp left-hand turn waiting on the other side, is when most people might rightfully get nervous. Hitting that summit at that speed ensures a momentary lift before the car’s chassis fully compresses on the far side, about where the downhill run encourages even more speed, all while the left-hander looms larger and larger in the Ford GT Mark II’s windshield.



Higher power, lower weight, more aggressive aerodynamics = ultimate track car

Whatever sense of concern this situation might create in most cars, it generates nothing but perma-grin from my perspective, strapped tightly into the passenger seat of said Ford GT Mark II as the speedometer touches on 140 mph. At this point Laguna Seca’s hairpin turn 2 has gone from looming to embracing, entirely filling the Mark II’s curved windscreen as professional race driver Billy Johnson squeezes the GT’s brake pedal. Now it’s my torso’s turn to compress under the stopping power of the Mark II’s carbon ceramic brake rotors, slowing the Ford GT’s 19-inch Forgeline wheels and ultra-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport GT tires.

Professional racer Billy Johnson provided the thrill ride in the Ford GT Mark II
They say any track day is a good day, but Laguna Seca is my favorite track and the Ford GT Mark II is the most track-capable version of Ford’s ultimate performance car. And, Billy Johnson happens to be a professional race driver and lead development driver for Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports (the latter company responsible for engineering and assembling the Ford GT road car, race car and this Mark II track car).

Wrap it all together and you’ve got one helluva ride around Laguna Seca’s 2.2-mile, 11-turn racing circuit. While 140 mph on the front straight is thrilling, where the Ford GT Mark II really impresses is its ability to hit more than 100 mph on nearly every straight Laguna Seca has to offer. Some of these are quite short, and come after very low-speed turns, but Billy works the Ford GT’s 7-speed dual clutch transmission to wring every pony from the 700-plus horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine spinning between those trademark flying buttresses.

The dual-plan rear wing and large rear splitter help the Mark II make 1,900 pounds of downforce
That’s a good chunk more power than offers (647 hp), and the Ford GT Mark II is over 300 pounds lighter than my road car. More importantly, while much of the Mark II’s equipment and specifications are derived from the Ford GT IMSA race cars, the Mark II boasts multiple performance enhancements those vehicles can’t match. The Ford GT Mark II is both lighter and more powerful than the IMSA cars thanks to no BoP (“balance of performance”) restrictions. It’s also got the aforementioned carbon ceramic brake system shared with my road car – but unavailable on the IMSA cars.



A roof scoop cools the Ford GT Mark II's 7-speed dual-clutch transmission


Other enhancements include more effective aerodynamics, with aggressive front and rear splitters, plus a dual-plane rear wing, creating more than 1,900 pounds of downforce at 150 mph. A high-capacity roof scoop feeds additional cool air to the Mark II’s gearbox, and looks pretty cool, too. Larger intercoolers at the base of those flying buttresses are paired with water spray nozzles to cool the more powerful 3.5-liter engine. Finally, a 5-way adjustable damping system lets drivers quickly tune the Mark II’s suspension for individual tracks. Like the carbon ceramic brakes and 700-horsepower engine, these features are not allowed in the IMSA racing series, making the Ford GT Mark II far more capable than even the Ford GT race car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016.