In January this year, the new Ford GT’s digital instrument display was revealed, confirming that the carbon-fibre supercar would boast five driving modes.
And now the Detroit automaker has provided more details of each of the mid-engined monster’s driving modes, accessed via a neat dial on the F1-inspired steering wheel.
Ford has also confirmed that the GT – which is powered by a 3,5-litre EcoBoost V6 worth 482 kW – features an “easy-to-use” launch control system available in all modes except Wet.
Let’s take a look at the five modes below…
Normal mode
In the most basic of modes, the Ford GT’s traction and stability control systems cannot be adjusted. The ground clearance is set at 120 mm and the throttle and transmission are regulated for standard driving. The rear wing deploys automatically at 145 km/h (returning to its stowed position at 130 km/h), while prodding the “comfort” button softens the ride on bumpy roads by adjusting the compression and rebound of the dampers.
Wet mode
This mode is exactly what one would expect, activating the default configurations of Normal mode, but adjusting throttle sensitivity to help drivers manage the reduced grip offered by rain-affected surfaces for greater stability.
Sport mode
Engaging Sport mode affords the driver a more responsive throttle and a sharper transmission. This allows for the GT’s clever anti-lag system to remain active and keep the turbochargers spinning and providing boost when needed.
Sport mode does not allow for the “comfort” suspension to be selected, although the GT’s ground clearance remains unchanged. When in Sport mode, the adaptive stability control system can be adjusted to one of three settings: additional slip, yaw and oversteer.
Track mode
This fourth setting, according to Ford, is “strictly for race conditions”. The rear wing deploys, and the aerodynamic openings in the front close for maximum downforce. Ground clearance, meanwhile, drops by some 50 mm, the dampers move to their firmest setting and the spring rates are increased.
V-Max
In V-Max mode, every setting is tuned to make the GT go as fast as possible. The ride height, for instance, is set as it is in track mode although all aero components are folded away to minimise drag. In short, it’s all about achieving maximum straight-line speed…
