New Ford GT LM revealed as sign-off special

Seven years after its reveal at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, Ford Performance has unveiled the swansong of its second-generation GT. Called the Ford GT LM, the limited-edition celebrates Ford’s motorsport success by paying homage to the GTE Pro racer that took its class win at the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours. Just 20 examples will be produced, with production set to come to a close by the end of 2022.

All models will be finished in Liquid Silver paint, with either red or blue design accents inspired by the No. 68 Le Mans winner. The paintwork is contrasted with bespoke tinted carbonfibre, which features on the front splitter, rear diffuser, sills, inner door sills, engine bay louvres and mirror stalks. The usually optional carbonfibre 20-inch wheels are fitted as standard, with red or blue accents appearing on the inner barrels and titanium wheel lugs holding them in place. 

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Performance remains untouched, with its 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 producing the same 638bhp and 550lb ft of torque as before – 0-62mph arrives in just 2.8sec with a top speed of 216mph.

Unique to this special edition are 3D printed titanium components, with ‘cyclonic design’ exhaust tips and a GT LM badge to be found at the rear. One of the most notable new additions, though, is the inclusion of an interior element made from the crankshaft of the third-place No. 69 GT from 2016. Ford did this by grinding the racer’s crankshaft into a powder, which was then used in the 3D printing of a trim piece mounted onto the instrument panel.

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There’s also unique asymmetrically-coloured seats, with the driver’s seat matching the accent colour chosen for the exterior carbonfibre and the passenger seat in Ebony Alcantara. The accent colour is also carried across to the start button, with leather, Alcantara and other carbonfibre trim featuring throughout. 

Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, said: ‘As we close this chapter of the road-going Ford GT, the GT LM Edition gave us a chance to inject even more heart and soul from a podium-finishing race car, furthering the tribute to our 2016 Le Mans win.’

The first of the 20 examples will be delivered this autumn, with production of the second-generation Ford GT set to come to a close by the end of 2022. Pricing hasn’t been disclosed, but expect a figure above its £450,000 starting price.