ord unveiled the GT, an F-150 Raptor, a Mustang Shelby GT350 R and other performance cars at 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit Monday.
DETROIT, MI - Ford unveiled the GT, an F-150 Raptor, a Mustang Shelby GT350 R and other performance cars at 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit Monday.
Arguably the most-striking reveal of by Ford is the GT, a sleek car with jackknife doors. The GT, which will begin production in 2016, will have a new, twin-turbo, 3.5L EcoBoost V6 that produces more than 600 horsepower.
Company chairman Bill Ford said it would be a "halo" on the Dearborn automaker's performance cars. Ford plans to release 12 new Ford Performance vehicles over the next five years.
The GT is rear-wheel drive, mid-engine car, fabricated with carbon fiber, aluminum and other lightweight materials.
"Ford appears ready to revive is performance image with the most iconic race vehicle from its past," said Karl Brauer, an analyst with Kelley Blue Book. "The new GT is an appropriate evolution, clearly stemming from Ford's last go around in the supercar world. Just like last time, Ford will have performance fans drooling over its mid-engine exotic, with a fortunate few taking ownership when it hits showrooms next year."
The F-150 Raptor, which will be built at the Dearborn Truck plant, will go on sale in 2016. The performance-based take on the company's award-winning F-150 is being made with a steel frame and military-strength aluminum alloy body that Ford says saves about 500 lbs of weight.
The F-150 Raptor will have a 3.5L EcoBoost V8 engine under its hood, producing 411 horsepower and 436 lb. ft. of torque, and will come equipped with a 10-speed transmission with manual paddle shifters. It's six inches wider than the standard F-150.
"When we created the first Raptor, we set out to prove vehicle performance isn't just measured on the street or at the track – off-road can be even more fun," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. "The original Raptor, plus enhancements on the all-new F-150 set the bar for us to make the all-new Raptor better in every way."
The Shelby GT350R is a limited production Mustang that will be available later this year.
Powered with a 5.2-liter V8 engine, Ford execs described the GT350R as essentially an all-day track car that happens to be street legal. To save on weight and improve performance, Ford cut out eveyrthing it could – even air conditioning.
The company also showed off a Fiesta ST and Focus ST on Monday.
Overall, Ford Motor Co. sold 2,480,942 units in 2014, representing a 0.5 percent decline from 2013 as the company said it took an expected hit from the roll-out of an all-new, 2015 F-150 pickup., which was named North American Truck of the year at NAIAS on Monday. Ford temporarily halted production as it retooled facilities to build its first mass-produced, aluminum-bodied truck.
More than 40 vehicles are expected to be unveiled at the 2015 NAIAS. The show runs Jan. 12-25 in Detroit. Press preview days are Jan. 12-13, followed by industry preview Jan. 14-15 and a charity preview on Jan. 16.
The show will be open to the public Jan. 17-25. More than 750 vehicles will be on display, and some 800,000 attendees are expected to pass through the Cobo Center's doors for the event. Tickets to the 2015 public show days are $7 for senior citizens and children between 7-12 years old; $13 for adults; and free for children 6 and under. For more information on tickets, visit naias.com.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter