allegretto

A long-time friend of mine got his GT-3 about 3 mo ago and raved about it. He called today and said he traded it for a Ford GT and added some cash.

He told me that the GT smoked the GT-3 and was an easier car to drive as well.

Anyone else here familiar with both cars and has a comment...?

Thanks

Jack

Herman,

The Ford GT is a fantastic car and very capable on track....what else can I say.

Nordschleife

Build quality......

bli8

Jack,
One of these days when I get brave enough, I'll bring the FGT out to Willow. My buddies Hans, David and Jamey run with you all the time in their Lotuses (and they all got one because of me having one first). In stock form, the Ford is already faster than my 996 GT3 in the straight line, about the equal in the turns, but doesn't stop as good as the GT3, but for $10K's worth of mods, I'm able to get the car to pump out over 650 RWHP on 93 octance (91 CA gas plus NOS Racing Formula octane booster). Finish up the car with a set of Moton Mortorsports. I love the ride, the look, the power and can't wait to drive it everyday, but only get to drive it on weekends. BTW, my daily driver is the GT3. I only drive the SUV when I had to haul people or stuff.
Bruce

bli8

Do you own one or live with one to pass this judgement? Not to knock my GT3 which I still love dearly after 14,000 miles and 3 years, the GT has no squeaks and rattles inside, and I can't say the same about the GT3. Yes, it has a few problems but it really isn't that badly made, and... it won't depreciate like most P,F, and L cars as there won't be another supercar from Ford in a long long time. Go buy one before the supply dries up....

Nordschleife

I refused to be sucked in by three friends with them....... the cars that came to Europe were very poorly modified for local conditions. Not only was a very high profile owner continually plagued by minor problems but more ordinary folk, like my friends, discovered that the cars weren't too happy being driven flat out from Hamburg to Valelunga (near Rome), for example.

If I jump in a Porsche I expect to be able to drive it flat out all day, and I don't mean tooling around at 150 mph, car manufacturers from other countries rarely 'get this' requirement, Porsche and the other premium German manufacturers do.

I don't have an automatic down on the Ford GT, I like the concept, I've even had some early Cobras and a Zora Duntoff special and think the Viper one of the better jokes around, and for my sins visit Detroit in a professional capacity from time to time. However, I do think that the GT3 does have better build quality.

R+C

yellowmz3

I did the opposite: I traded my GT for a GT3. I loved my GT (Heritage edition), and it was very easy to drive, looked incredible...
Problem, as someone alluded to earlier though is reliability. There were all sorts of issues (mostly little) that bugged the crap out of me (especially for 175K), and worst of all was lack of service. I live in the NY metro area and couldn't find a Ford dealer within 50 miles who had ever serviced one, (much less had any interest in servicing one). I actually had to drive over an hour to get my first oil change.

Mark Dreyer

I think he meant the Ford literally smoked the GT3 as in smoke coming out of the engine bay.

The only time I've seen a Ford GTon the track was at a Sebring DE event. It lasted only a lap or two til a coolant line blew and provided a near catastophe for the cars behind it.

eclou

Hermann, you are a sick man. Need to find another hobby to divert your attentions enough to hold onto a car for more than 6 months

allegretto

Hey,you think it's easy being this sick?

Who wants to start Caraholics Anonymous?

Sharptt

I have to disagree. I only wish my CTT or C4S were built as well as my Ford GT. I was one of the lucky GT owners who were able to tour the Saleen plant and watch the final cars assembled and I was so impressed I seriously thought about buying a second one. I just took the GT out for the first Spring trip and fell in love all over again.

nkhalidi

Allow me to complete the story for you: the owner had his GT flatbedded back to his home on his own nickel (it was a Sunday, and FoMoCo apparently doesn't have a roadside assistance program). The next day, Monday, the local Ford dealership (SVT certified, fwiw) refused to take in the car because the service department was "full." Owner had to wait until later that week before the dealer would even take in the car, then another week for parts and installation. For a fastener on a coolant line. True story: I know the owner.

Service is a main difference between Fords and Porsches; you bring your late-model Porsche into a shop, and not only do the techs generally know what they're doing, they're able to get parts relatively quickly. Not the case with Ford GT.

I love the FGT - it's mid-engine, lots of power, great styling, good hard parts - but I'd never buy one because I know from others' firsthand experience that service in my neck of the woods (especially considering that the car would see 50/50 track/street use) would be a pain.

Nordschleife

Well its horses for courses - and what has happened to the second hand values of the F-GT?

I'm sure you get great pleasure from driving the car, and who wouldn't, but will it stand up to being driven flat out from one end of Germany to the other and on down into central Italy without having things go wrong?

To be a GT, its expected to be good at Grand Touring, which ipso facto involves long distances at high speeds, in comfort. Based on the conversations I have had with people who have tried doing this in the F-GT, there does not appear to be any certainty that the car handles long high speed runs or back to back track days particularly well, which is a great shame, given everything else about the car.

R+C

WalkerInTN

My thoughts exactly. Doesn't matter how good the car is if you can't get it serviced.

Getting good service at a Ford/Chrysler/GM dealer is very hit or miss these days.

mamoroso

I just recently bought a 2005 Ford GT. I use it as my daily driver... I also have a AAA gold card with me all the time.

The negatives first:
- The car is huge. Parked next to my 993s it just dwarfs them. The 3,500lbs weigh sucks. Still I don't know how it is. The frams is alluminium, so are the body panels (if they are not CF). There are no gimmicks like sat nav etc. I think it's just that huge 5.4 V8 (still an alluminium block) + the SC, the big brakes, big wheels, big radiators etc.
- 3/4 Rear visibility... non existent.. .lots of blind spots
- Non existent cargo capabilities. You may laugh but with the 911s I used to take to the track with me a pro car jack, numerous tools, a cool bag, a chair etc... forget it with the GT
- The gearbox. I don't know... the SVT guys must have spent a fortune to commission it to Ricardo but I am not impressed at all. Yes, you need a strong unit to cope with the insane torque but this box is not my fav. Gimme a G50/31 any time.... Lever travel is relatively long and 2nd/3rd up/downshifts are sometimes problematic... MMmmm need to revisit.
- Pedal position. It's is not set up for heel to toe. I am still working on it... but difficult on the street when 2nd gear tops at 100mph

The positives:
- to me the best looking car on the road since possibly the 73 RSR
- a sense of occasion EVERY time you press the start button
- the steering is the best I have ever experienced
- 400ft/lb of torque avalaible at 2k rpm
- the car is heavy but it must have an incredible low CGT because the weight transfer is very very nimble for a 3,500 car. The location of the fuel tank (center tunnel) certainly contributes to this.
- No PASM, TC nor other electronic gizmos.
- The suspensions are PERFECTLY tuned for a GT car. I am yet to test it on the track (soon) but for the street I have never experienced anything better. The is absolutely no body roll (the car is also insanaly wide and this helps) and yet you do not lose your teeth when going over some rough bumps.
- Neutral behavious. This car is very predictable. Again i have not been to the track yet but on the street you drive it with your right foot as much as with your hands... the immense torque avaliable everywhere helps.
- CGT, Murcielago, SLR, Enzo, Pagani Zonda performance.

Build quality... we have all heard the stories abt Top Gear's JC 's car. He had possibly the 1st car in the UK and at Roush they screwed up the wiring of his (mandatory in Europe) class 1 alarm.
There is no excuse as Roush is the official importer of the car in Europe, but put it down as a learning process.
The car went from idea concept to production in less than 18 months. it is also hand built. Things are bound to happen. If you think that just because you spent north of $150k on a car it should be bullet proof then.... buy an SL63AMG.

On pure performance terms the GT is second only to a handful of cars...
The reports of non reliability on trans European cruises are new to me. We'll see.. We are moving to the UK this Summer and the GT is coming... I am already planning with some friends big tours around the old continent...