In the early 1960s, Ford was negotiating to acquire Ferrari, and as the deal was about to close, Enzo Ferrari backed out of it and insulted Henry Ford II and the cars he made. Irritated by this behavior, Ford decided to beat Ferrari at their own game, at the 24hrs of Le Mans. To achieve this, Ford commissioned Carroll Shelby. As a result, his team gifted the world with the stunning Ford GT40. It went on to dominate Le Mans for four consecutive years, cementing the GT40 as a legend in the racing world. Owning this hallmark of a car is only a dream for many, as it is now a million-dollar museum piece. However, companies such as RCR (Race Car Replicas), are making this dream achievable. This is one such example of a 2017 RCR GT-R Replica Kit Car offer the looks of a modern Ford GT but for a fraction of the cost.

Exterior and Interior

The GT40, as the name suggests, is just 40 inches tall to fit in with the Le Mans regulations. This low height and the effort to make an aerodynamic car made the GT an absolute stunner finished in a bright baby blue paint job. This example has been crafted out of a custom body fitted onto a custom frame so it can fit the 19/20 inch staggered Forgestar Performance Wheels setup wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero 285 tires up front and meaty 335 tires at the rear. This wheel setup not only provides a race car-inspired look but also provides superior handling and helps put all the engine power down. As the car is considerably low, it has been fitted with a hydraulic front lift to help over bumps. Gracing around the exterior, you will see Brembo 4-Piston calipers at the front and rear hugging over slotted and drilled rotors. There is a tow hook for the days you decide to bring it to the racetrack, and a carbon fiber rear lip spoiler for added downforce, complete with a flat bottomed under tray sweeping out to a rear diffuser for the extra downforce. The cockpit is tight and solely focused on achieving the car's best performance. The dials, steering wheel, pedals, and gated shifter are placed perfectly to improve the experience. There is a touch screen radio head unit while Sparco racing bucket seats keep you in place.

Engine

You can fit a number of engines to the RCR GT-R replica, but this build has been done with Ford's very own 3.5L EcoBoost V6 twin-turbo engine that has been properly custom fitted to fit inside the rear of this unique chassis design. Taking a glance at the engine compartment, you’ll see a custom intake plenum with Treadstone Performance Engineering Silicone Piping and an external wastegate, giving hints that this twin-turbo V6 means serious business. The V6 is mated to a gated six-speed manual that has been said to be sourced from a Lamborghini Gallardo to transmit the power to the rear wheels.