The Ford GT40 is well known for its win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the low-slung sportscar took its very first endurance victory at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental race. The new Ford GT Heritage Edition pays tribute to the winner of that race. Co-drivers Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby led a 1-2-3-5 Ford domination at Daytona. That win paved the way for the Ford GT40 MK II to claim 1-2-3 wins at Sebring and Le Mans. Check out our bespoke galleries of iconic Le Mans winners by clicking on Part One and Part Two.

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Original livery

Ford GT Heritage Edition carbon wheel

The Ford GT Heritage Edition takes inspiration from the winning racecar in 1966. It features Frozen White base exterior paint with exposed carbon fibre hood. Asymmetrical red accents on the facia and roof edge, driver’s side door and underneath the rear wing and while exposed carbon fibre shapes the ‘98’ roundel graphics. Unique graphics on the lower rear-quarter panels plus one-piece Heritage Gold 20-inch forged-aluminium wheels are paired with red lacquered Brembo brake calipers. Customers can opt for a Heritage Upgrade Package that includes 20-inch exposed carbon fibre wheels with the brake calipers in black detailed with Brembo lettering in red.

Read up about the last time the Le Mans circuit was used without chicanes at this link.

Ford GT Heritage Edition interior

Inside, the driver-centric interior features black Alcantara on the instrument panel, roofliner and steering wheel, anodised red paddle shifters and red Alcantara seats add contrast to the interior. Inside, ghosted 98 roundels provide a subtle contrast on both driver and passenger carbon fibre door panels of this this package. Get a closer look at the new GT derivative on our YouTube channel.

There were no details in Ford’s press material so we are guessing the Ford GT Heritage Edition remains mechanically unchanged. The new model is powered by a 3,5-litre twin-turbocharged  V6 engine as found elsewhere in the GT line-up. Power remains at 482 kW with 746 N.m of torque. The EcoBoost engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle powering the rear wheels.

In his own words

“For this Heritage Edition, the Ford Performance team went deeper into the Ford GT’s race history and crafted a limited-edition model that stylistically honours the 55th anniversary of the Daytona 24 Hour endurance race that would eventually lead to our successes at Le Mans,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. “Plus, for customers who want to highlight the carbon-fibre body and functional cooling ducts that help deliver Le Mans-winning performance.”

Learn more about Ford’s endurance racing exploits in the video below: