If the 2017 Ford GT is a painting, the broad strokes of it are four wheels, an engine, a body, and a cockpit. The finer strokes are the colors used between those.
The reborn legend will offer buyers the choice of eight colors, including Liquid Blue, which debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. They’ll be able to pick the finish for the exposed carbon fiber trim: gloss, matte, or Shadow Black paint. The six-piston, monobloc calipers will be available in anodized black as standard, as well as Silver, Blue, Orange, and Red. Those will clamp down on carbon ceramic discs that are 50 percent lighter than those made out of cast iron. The brake system’s low fluid displacement means it should provide improved pedal feel and stiffness.
Ford says, “Throughout the interior, color is used sparingly, subtly making its way onto the car’s seat backs – a feature visible from the outside. On the passenger side, a matching hue on the two-tier instrument panel creates a visual balance in the tight cabin upon opening the door.” The horizontal ribbing on the seats also brings balance by adding visual width to the narrow interior.
For those who would rather take a shortcut with the visual configuration of their GT, the Blue Oval will suggest color combinations and themes that coordinate interior and exterior colors, brake caliper colors, and even the racing stripes. Might we suggest the Heritage Edition?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
