Bojan Vrbnjak
Ford GT40 was in law in the 1960s Spaceship. A super sports car that was intended to compete with Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, eventually became an American automotive legend and inspired many other models in the following decades. The second generation came in 2004, the third generation in 2016, and in the meantime? Two extravagant prototypes were created, GT80 in GT90.
The story of the creation
GT80 was one of the most crazy Ford models so far. The concept you see in the photos is the work Luigi Colani, aerodynamic engineer, artist and sculptor. For the designer (who is also known for his work at BMW in Volkswagen in the 1980s) who created a prototype that went decidedly too far, it was a combination sui generis.
Colani has always prioritized cars throughout his career extremely aerodynamic shapes, often drawing inspiration from the worlds of racing and aviation. This is especially evident in the model GT80, whose stunning back end resembles Lotus 80 in Formula 1 and Chapparal 2K in IndyCar. Even the shape of the model GT80 is patented, as Colani registered the name in 1967 "form C". The GT80, which was introduced in 1980 at IAA in Frankfurt, was the result of years of study and aerodynamic development that began in 1973 and were only completed in 1978.
Ford support
GT80 was more expensive than it was then Rolls-Royce, because according to Colani, they were used for its production the best materials. The prototype presented in Frankfurt was made with 3,4-liter engine V6 Ford Cosworth with 24 valves and power 405 BAM at 10.500 rpm. Press material for the Frankfurt model exhibition GT80 he prepared Ford Europe, and he paid for the entire project Colani alone. The show car had rims and tires Formula 1, and the gearbox was 5-stage manual gearbox from ZF.
The company ZF has also participated in the development of some electronic components for GT80 like system automatic pressure detection to adjust the front wing. Thus, it was possible to reduce drag at high speeds and create higher pressure force in turns. It was also built into the steering wheel airbag, which was unique in 1980. Because 20 centimeters thick walls it should be made of insulating material between the engine and the seats noise level serial vehicle very low. However, the vehicle was not there never mass-produced and the rest is purely engineering and design exercise.
