An image of an early Ford GT design study has resurfaced online, suggesting that either a new one may be on the way, or that there isn’t much else going on in the design studio these days. The image was shared on Twitter via Mike Levine, Product Communications Director for Ford America. The prototype in question appears to be an early concept design for the latest Ford GT (that being the one that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2015 – a huge surprise).
Prototypes are easy pic.twitter.com/2p2bhkhxGZ
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) August 19, 2022
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this design prototype, although not too many people have laid their eyes upon it, so it’s relatively unknown to the masses. This is an early clay or foam styling model for the supercar and features a few interesting features that were considered before the original design was finalized.
One of the most obvious changes is the placement and shape of the headlights, which appear to originally disappear on the edge of air passageways. The lower fascia and front splitter are different too, and takes on a more traditional look, rather than the frowny face that appears on the production model. Still present are the wild flying buttresses that make the GT appear to pass through itself, as well as the greenhouse that reminds us of a helmet visor.
Accompanying the pictures are the words “Prototypes are easy”, which is a direct quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who used the phrase to describe the upcoming Cybertruck and its production woes. The entire quote is “Prototypes are easy, production is hard”. Although, we do have to be a bit cynical about this particular use case for that sentence, as the Ford GT was mostly pioneered and built by Canadian company Multimatic, with Ford essentially buying an almost finished product and putting their stamp on it. We digress, however, as the Ford GT is no doubt one of the best joint ventures we’ve ever seen in the automotive world, and it was proudly displayed at the 2022 Woodward Dream Cruise in Code Orange.
The reason Mike is sharing the photo now is unclear, but it could be a sly tease, at least, that’s what we hope.
