2005 Ford GT Official Max Velocity !!

[nthfinity]

Dearborn, Mich., June 7, 2004 (FCN) --It's official-- the Ford GT is the fastest production road car ever produced to wear the Ford Badge. During engineering testing for high-speed stability and powertrain durability at Italy's Nardo test facility, the Ford GT supercar was certified for a top speed of 205mph. In 1966, the ford GT40 reached a top speed of 201 Mph on th eMulsanne Straight during th e24 hours of LEManns endurance race in France. "The engineering team has once again outdone themselves, said John Coletti, director of Ford SVT programs. "this is a major accomplishment and pust the Ford GT among the ranks of the greatest sports cars in history." the Ford GT engineering team took two cars to th eNardo test facility to conduct the high-speed stability evaluations to runa 400=-mile durability test. the team decided to pay careful attention to the aerodynamics of the 2005 version because th e1966 GT40 race car exhibited major lift at high speeds. in order to not disturb the exterior desgn seen at the 2002 NAIAS, the engineering team made most of the aerod ynamic changes on the underside of the vehicle. as a result, the only difference between show car and production version i sa subtle rear spoiler extension, front and side splitters and venturi tunnels wrapped under the rear clip. Mark Mcgowan, Ford GT vehicle dynamics supervisor, who drove during the Nardo testing said, "driving at speeds above 200 mph was remarkably uneventful, which is a very positive outcome." How does it feel to drive at that speed? "Fast!" said McGowan. "its quite the experiencee, , but th ecar is very stable. at 205 miles an hour its basically flat to the floor (with the throttle). you can leave it there; the only constraint on this car is how much fuel you have." McGowen said the car, with its 550-horsepower 5.4 liter double overhead cam (DOHC) supercharged engine, really moves. The GT covers a quarter mile in approximately 11 seconds and achieves 128 miles an hour in that distance. "but getting up to 205 certified high-speed limit takes about four miles, because of aerodynamic drag," he said. the engine also was put to the test at Nardo. The engineering team required a 500-mile test at or near maximum speeds to prove-out the strenght and acceleration, but also passed the durablity tst without any significant problems. "the Ford GT is performing at levels of super exotic sports cars that cost three and four times as much money, and it still meets all the engineering and qualtiy requirements of any Ford vehicle program," said Coletti. "thats no small feat, but a showcase of the passion and talent that resides within the company." the 2005 Ford GT is being built at Ford's Wixom, MI assembly plant. Production will begin this summer.

source-Ford Communications Network

i had to share this somewhat inside info; which will set the benchmark for production road tests in the magazines. i hope this excites everyone here as much as it does me.

and sorry for any bad grammar, i typed it from an article, no copy/paste ease.