Ford GT40

An unmistakable classic, the Ford GT40 has a storied history as one of the greatest race cars ever built. In the early 60's, Henry Ford II made the decision that in order for Ford to become one of the great car manufacturers, it would have to be apart of LeMans. His initial idea was to purchase Ferrari. However, the deal fell through, and Henry Ford II became angry that Enzo Ferrari had used Ford solely as a red herring to force eventual buyer Fiat to up the price tag. Frustrated, Ford decided to pair with Lotus and Lola to build a Ferrari killer for the 1964 LeMans. The 40 stood for the how tall the car was to be, 40 inches at the windshield. The original MkI GT40s had a mid engine configuration, low slung aerodynamic body, and a 4.7 litre Ford V8. Their first year at LeMans in 64 proved a harsh lesson. All 3 cars retired. But in 1966, Ford's vision came true, as the MkIIs swept the podium at LeMans, including a formation finish by the top 2 cars. The GT40 featured in the FIA Historic series are the original MkI cars, with the 289 V8, pumping out 380bhp. Extremely light weight, well balanced, and very low center of gravity make it a dream to drive. It is however handicapped with skinny historic treaded Dunlops to limit its performance here against the other GTC65 cars. Just tell the car where to go, and it goes. The car responds beautifully, and is easy to catch if you make a mistake. Clearly the favorite in any race it enters. - Jerry Chen