Update: $1.2 million 700-HP Track-Only Ford GT Mk II Revealed at FOS

The Goodwood Festival of Speed was founded in 1993 as a lavish celebration of motorsport. The event, held at the historic Goodwood House in West Sussex, England, hosts a 1.16-mile hillclimb. Manufacturers use their experiences in Formula 1, Le Mans, and other race series to conquer the hill. They also take the opportunity of this world stage to unveil their latest creations, like the track-only Ford GT Mk II revealed today.

“The true off-the-hook performance capability of the GT hasn’t yet been fully showcased,” Multimatic Motorsports chief technical officer Larry Holt said. Multimatic is the Canadian automotive engineering firm that partnered with Ford to build the second-generation Ford GT as well as the GT race car. “The road car is obviously limited by the many global homologation requirements that it must comply with, and the race car suffers from the restriction of the dreaded Balance of Performance, resulting in it being 150 horsepower down to the road car.”

Built to win

The Ford GT Mk II is powered by a 700-horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, the official press release reads. The supercar was co-developed by Ford Performance and Multimatic using Ford’s experience with the GT race car at the FIA World Endurance Championships and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championships.

“The GT Mk II unleashes the full performance potential of the Ford GT without any artificial performance limitations dictated by racing sanctioning bodies,” Ford chief product development and purchasing order Hau Thai-Tang said. “It’s the closest GT owners can get to the Le Mans-winning performance and exhilarating feeling of crossing the finish line in the Ford GT race car.”

Ford is touting the GT Mk II as the best of both worlds, sharing elements with the production GT supercar and the GT race car. Its large rear wing is balanced by a front racing splitter, diffuser, fender louvers and dive planes. The Mk II’s new aerodynamics add 400 percent more downforce to the over its street-legal counterpart. The race-proven suspension and Michelin Pilot Sport racing tires help to contribute to 2Gs of lateral grip. 5-way adjustable DSSV shock absorbers and a lowered ride height complement the aero improvements.