Think this is just another GT40 replica? Take a closer look and you’ll see it’s a late-model Ford GT packing more than 800 stampeding horses — and the ability to outperform any other endurance vehicle in the land.

If you know your supercars, you’ll know that even though it doesn’t hail from Europe, the Ford GT is up there amongst the best ever made. The remarkable machine went into production in 2004 to celebrate 40 years since the GT40’s historic Le Mans win.

At first glance the modern GT looks similar to those legendary racers, yet it doesn’t share a single common part. Instead it was constructed with the latest methods available over the model’s three-year lifespan.

Like any hand-built, high-powered supercar, prices for the GT were out of most people’s reach, yet demand meant it sold at well over its recommended retail price of US$139,000 (NZ$196,500). Many cars sold for close to double that, especially early versions such as number 612 off the production line, the one you see here.

Why would someone spend that much on a vehicle only to turn it into a race car? Surely no one locally is that brave or stupid? No, they weren’t. Brave, yes; but stupid? Far from it. Quite the opposite in fact. (more…)