MC&T Staff 
When Ford unveiled the newest iteration of the GT back in 2016, it was clear that the car was designed with the racetrack in mind. The racing version of the supercar would go on to successfully beat Ferrari in the LM GTE Pro class at the 24 hours of LeMans that year, mirroring the Ford GT 40’s 1966 victory over Ferrari 50 years prior (was it all staged? Depends who you ask). Fast forward to 2019, and Ford and their racing partner Multimatic are celebrating this achievement with an extreme version of the GT for their customers, and the result is the new Ford GT Mk II. While we got to see this car go up the hill blisteringly quick at Goodwood in prior videos, we haven’t seen what the car can do on a proper racing circuit, until now.
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca may have undergone a name change recently, but it remains one of the most beloved racetracks in the United States. Thanks to Forbes contributor Karl Brauer on YouTube, we all get to see how the hardcore Ford handles itself on Laguna’s 11 flowing corners. While the beginning of the video highlights the Mk II heating its tires, the following laps show what this track only GT is all about.
Ford says the GT Mk II is faster around a road course than any GT3/GTD class car, which means that it is outlandishly quick. In order to accomplish this level of performance, tweaks were made to the 3.5 liter Ecoboost V6 raising total output to 700 horsepower, making this the most powerful version of the Ford GT so far conceived. The Ford GT Mk II also went on a diet, dropping over 200 pounds compared to the street legal version. Aerodynamic upgrades including a massive fix rear wing and diffuser combo help the Mk II to produces 400 percent more downforce than the standard GT as well, resulting in up to 2G of lateral grip.
Ford is only going to produce 45 examples of the track only Ford GT Mk II, and each will cost upwards of $1.2 million. That is a lot of money, but the Mk II is the ultimate expression of what the Ford GT is meant to be – and owners can have them painted whatever color they want. Without FIA regulations to adhere to, Ford and Multimatic have made a machine worthy of the Mk II name that looks mighty fine out on the racetrack.
