This is the GT40 successor Ford never made
60 years on from the Ford GT40 finally breaking through to win at Le Mans, a South African kit car specialist has revealed its tribute to the racer.
The Ford GT40 stands as possibly the most recognisable and highly regarded race car in the company’s history, bringing the brand racing success which was eventually immortalised on the silver screen.
Such was the love for the GT40 that Ford launched two generations of successors in the 21st century, the first with a V8 engine and a design which closely resembled the 1960s racing hero, while the most recent was a twin-turbo V6 built to emulate its success on the track.
It also became a popular vehicle amongst kit car builders, who offered packages to customers to build their own GT40s at home, though one firm from South Africa has decided to go one step further.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the GT40’s first of four wins at Le Mans in 1966, Cape Advanced Vehicles (CAV) has revealed the GT MkII, its modern reinterpretation of the classic Ford.
Named after the GT40 MkII which Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon took victory in – and the car which starred in Ford vs Ferrari – the GT MkII is an all-new build, based on a carbon fibre and aluminium chassis, with lightweight panels keeping its weight under 1350kg.
Homages to the GT40 include the headlight design, the many ducts and vents over the bodywork, as well as the dual vertical tail lights at the back, while the exposed transmission also hints at what it’s inspired by.
Said to be an “antidote to EV madness”, the CAV GT MkII is powered by a 4.2-litre twin-supercharged Audi V8, capable of making almost 600kW and 880Nm, with drive sent to all four wheels.
While a six-speed, single-clutch automatic transmission is standard, CAV says a manual and dual-clutch auto are also available.
With its relatively light weight and all-wheel drive, it’s claimed to be able to launch from 0-100km/h in just 3.0 seconds, before reaching a top speed of more than 330km/h.
To keep it under control, there are adjustable KW dampers under the skin, as well as Brembo brakes at the front (eight piston) and rear (four piston), with carbon ceramic rotors also available.
A price has yet to be announced, though it’ll no doubt be more affordable than the multi-million dollar figures being paid for true GT40s.
