Speed Yellow 2005 Ford GT

A Speed Yellow Clearcoat 2005 Ford GT with black racing stripes and custom exhaust arriving at and leaving South OC Cars and Coffee at the Outlets at San Clemente.

We know that in the 1960s Ford and Ferrari were fiercely competitive rivals. Fast forward to the turn of the century, and it was clear the two brands had gone in different directions. The Prancing Horse remained pretty much the top name in the exotic supercar business. The Blue Oval was known almost entirely for affordable daily drivers. In fact, for several decades pretty much all of America's attempts at a true supercar were limited to concept vehicles and low-volume cars by small manufacturers (Consulier/Mosler, Vector, Saleen S7, etc.) Yes, we had powerful muscle cars, and those cars continue to be vastly popular today. But what America lacked was something worthy of luring customers out of Ferrari and Lamborghini showrooms. And what better company to fill that void than good ol' Ford?

Enter the Ford GT, produced for model years 2005 and 2006 and based on a 2002 concept car whose design and proportions managed to make it to production nearly unchanged - Something even Ferrari had trouble accomplishing (remember the Sergio?) The GT was clearly inspired by the GT40, and even in a time when retro-inspired car designs were peaking in popularity, the idea of a retro mid-engined production supercar was something new.

The GT's styling may be a nod to the past, but everything else about it was clearly modern, including a 550-hp supercharged V8 engine capable of pushing the car above 200 mph. This example also appears to also have custom exhaust that required some modifications to the rear design. With a starting price of around $150,000, the GT was clearly Ford's - and America's - answer to Ferrari's V8 supercars. Over 4,000 units were built - incredible especially for a company that hadn't made a true supercar in decades.

What do you think - Did the GT successfully put Ford back on the map as a Ferrari competitor? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!