Blogger would have me believe I have published eleven posts, which seems like more than I've done. But this will be my last post of the week and that's that.
In my last post I introduced Ford into the picture (finally). I intended to have at least two pretty unrelated topics to blog about, just in case I cannot think of a whisper of a thought to blog about the first thing. I know I also said I would keep things interesting for those of you that know nothing or next to nothing about cars, so I will do my best not to stray into deep, uncharted waters that only an esoteric group of car enthusiasts would understand. Though, a blog is a vehicle designed for one to express oneself unedited, so maybe I'm only kidding.
ANYWAYS...
Ford. It rolls from the tongue with such grace and adroitness, one cannot but marvel at the sensation it generates on one's skin.
That's quite enough of that, don't you think?
Ford is the fifth-largest auto manufacturer in the world according to vehicle sales. They are the second-largest in the US (second to GM) and they employ approximately 164,000 people. Ford Motor Company was founded on the 16th of June, 1903 by Henry Ford and an investors' club that included a fellow by the name of Alex Malcomson and the Dodge Brothers. Fast-fowarding (but not skipping) a few years, in 1963 the first prototype of the GT40 was born. The GT40 was the product of a grudge match between Ferrari and Ford after Ferrari pulled out of a merger deal at the last minute. The prize was victory at Le Mans. From 1966 to 1969 Ford achieved just that, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans four years in a row. Ford beat Ferrari at their own game. Ford made a car that not only handled like a dream, but could scream down the straights at over 200 mph. No other American car has ever won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and no car has ever won the race twice with the same chassis (Ford never changed the chassis). The chassis is the first and most important structure the rest of the car is built around. Everything is attached to the chassis, and accordingly the chassis plays a critical role when designing and building a race car.
Today Ford still makes the GT40's modern cousin, the Ford GT. The model of the car is Ford GT, so if you were to say the make and model together, you would say Ford Ford GT. This is not a GT Mustang!! Google Ford GT and you will know what I'm talking about. Anyhow, the modern GT, produced from 2003 to 2006, uses a 5.0 liter V8 set in the middle that develops 550-bhp (brake horsepower basically means available horsepower, so it's the power that reaches the wheels, and there is variation involved). Top speed: 212 mph. 0-60 mph: 3.3 seconds. That's faster than a McLaren F1 (which is a multi-million dollar supercar that is ridiculous and outlandish in a number of ways other than its price). Cost of a McLaren F1: ranges in the several millions. Cost of a Ford GT: if you order one it's about $250,000; if you buy one it's more, ranging from $300,000 to over $500,000.
A sloppily strung-together collection of thoughts? Maybe. A blog post? Yes. Boom. Roasted.
No comments:
Post a Comment