It's been more than half a decade since Ford had a legitimate answer for the SRT Viper and Chevy Corvette, and some parties are getting antsy. Galpin Auto Sports made its own rendition of a 2013 Ford GT, adding a downright beastly 1,024-hp V8 engine. Galpin's GTR1 remains true to the original GT in many ways but soars right past Viper and Corvette territory and into McLaren / LeFerrari / Bugatti turf.
A supercar builder born out of six decades worth of customizing and selling cars, Galpin Auto Sports presents its very first coach-built supercar. The GTR1 was designed to represent what the short-lived Ford GT, built between 2004 and 2006, might have become had it continued along an evolutionary production path.
The GTR1's body is five inches wider than the original GT, and its lines and curves evolved, but you can see the GT influence from nearly every angle – the broad, shoveled-out hood, the shape of the profile, the flat, angled rear-end, etc. This is a successor, not a replica, so there's an equal amount of change, including the overall body sculpting, refashioned headlamps and taillamps, and redesigned side intakes. We greatly prefer the lithe, muscular, track-like styling of the original, but in its absence, the GTR1 will provide an acceptable substitute.
Helping to foster acceptance among the GT-loving masses, the GTR1 packs nearly double the power of the original GT. Its mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged 5.4-liter V8 is reminiscent of the original power plant in displacement and cylinders, but its 1,024 horses and 739 lb-ft of torque add a whole lot of extra punch. Run it on 100 octane fuel and those numbers leap to 1,197 hp and 887 lb-ft.
Galpin hasn't written all its figures in black pen just yet, but it does estimate that the car is "mechanically capable" of speeds surpassing 225 mph (362 km/h) and acceleration times of 3.1 seconds to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) and around 6.8 seconds to 100 mph (161 km/h). Helping the engine meet its potential will be the buyer's choice of aluminum or carbon fiber body, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tires. Brembo calipers with specially designed full carbon rotors will rein it back to standstill.
The driver gets to interact with all that bullish hardware from within a rather distinctive cabin with a machined-aluminum instrument cluster, McIntosh sound system (a feature that was available on the original GT) and handcrafted leather trim from Scottish leather specialist Bridge of Weir. Thankfully, buyers will have options besides the Sateen Marine blue motif that Galpin showed at Concours d'Elegance Pebble Beach, an electric blue-purple that looks like the passenger drank a little too much Blue Curacao before the driver dropped pedal to 225.
Galpin plans a very limited production, starting off with just half a dozen examples, not to exceed 24 in total. The car will carry a price tag of US$1,024,000 and production is planned for early 2014.
Source: Galpin Auto Sports
