New Ford GT...super interesting aero shape!

[serialk11r]

Five facts about the ferocious Ford GT - NY Daily News

Those side scoops that channel air around the wheels straight to the back, low drag? First time I've seen a road car clearly do that. The rest of the exotic mid engined cars use the side intakes to feed radiators and the engine.

[Frank Lee]

I'm thinking the Cd is awful. Wonder what it is?

[Cd]

The last generation was supposedly less than .39 - hopefully this one is better.
Regarding the new one,
I can see a really nice teardrop shape to the cabin in plan view, and the protruding rear wheels are isolated.
I would guess that the air flows around the cabin and out the back, reducing the overall size of the wake.
The wheels however are an aero disaster !

I found this info. on the last generation of the car :
" Let's talk aero. The body development team began its work by putting a 1968 GT40 in a California rolling-road wind tunnel borrowed from race-car builder Swift Engineering of San Clemente. The results, per performance development supervisor Kent Harrison, were sobering. In addition to an indifferent coefficient of drag-about 0.43-front-end lift at high speeds was in the aircraft realm: The car wanted to fly.

"The tunnel data gave me new respect for Gurney and Foyt and all those guys going flat-out on the Mulsanne straight," he said. "Wow."

With no constraints, Harrison's job would have been simple: reduce Cd, reduce drag, and reduce lift. But of course there were constraints. For one, the team was stuck with the basic shape. For another, the GT is a bigger car than its ancestor-6.9 inches wider, 3.8 inches taller, and 18.3 inches longer.

Aero is a subtle business, and in fact the fine-tuning of the GT's aluminum skin is still in progress. Harrison was not prepared to give us a final Cd number, although he acknowledged the goal was "less than 0.39." "

[botsapper]

Not exactly the same but an interesting concept design coincidence; curved windscreen, flying buttresses, rear wheel pontoons with integrated grill intakes, full-width integrated flat wing and the same pig-nosed twin rear exhausts. http://i.imgur.com/4OhUkjl.jpg

[RedDevil]

Chop, chop, tadpole trike

[NeilBlanchard]

Ford is going the "performance" route; and DE-emphasising efficiency and EV's.

[RunningStrong]

It's disappointing in some respects that they've gone for the ecoboost V6 over a hybrid drive like so many of the exotics are these days. However, I doubt this will be anywhere near the cost of the LaFerrari/918/P1. I also realise they very much intend to take it racing and that the ecoboost engine meets the regulations.

The flying butress isn't new, but certainly more dramatic than the only other 'mainstream' car I can think of with one, the F599.

Originally Posted by botsapper

Not exactly the same but an interesting concept design coincidence; curved windscreen, flying buttresses, rear wheel pontoons with integrated grill intakes, full-width integrated flat wing and the same pig-nosed twin rear exhausts. http://i.imgur.com/4OhUkjl.jpg

There's no similiarity, not even at a stretch

[Striker2237]

My god....this car is a sin......a V6? V6 in a GT? I can't even comprehend this logic.....

[bluesteel93]

Originally Posted by Striker2237

My god....this car is a sin......a V6? V6 in a GT? I can't even comprehend this logic.....

I here you. Seems weird to me too.

It does sound pretty awesome though. Very similar to a straight piped SOHC 2.3 turbo motors from the SVO's IMHO.
http://youtu.be/3C-qSRnqUZg

[RunningStrong]

Originally Posted by Striker2237

My god....this car is a sin......a V6? V6 in a GT? I can't even comprehend this logic.....

Because Le Mans.