Wealthy South African Petrolhead Adds Ford GT Supercar to Complete His Amazing Collection of Performance Cars

• Colin Lazarus is the proud owner of the only Ford GT in Mzansi, which is the road car version of the racing car that the Le Mans endurance race in 2016
• The GT went into production in 2015 comes after almost 50 years after the legendary GT40 victory in 1966
• The modern car uses a twin-turbo 3,5-litre EcoBoost V6 and a zero to 100km/h sprint time of three seconds is claimed
• Lazarus owns the only Ford GT in South Africa, along with two other iterations that were photographed with his new pride and joy

When the latest-generation Ford GT was revealed in 2015 it instantly became the fastest and most sophisticated Ford yet created, serving as a testbed for new technologies and ideas for future vehicles across the Ford line-up.

Despite its exclusive production run, this jewel in Ford’s performance crown has arrived in South Africa and completes one of the rarest GT collections in the world!

Avid car collector and owner of Lazarus Ford in Centurion, Colin Lazarus, already has an array of iconic Fords such as a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 and 2001 F150 SVT Lightning, Quickpic reports.

Lazarus is now the only person on the African continent to own the latest-generation Ford GT, CarMag reports. This ultimate Ford supercar joins his 1965 Ford GT40 MK1 and previous-generation 2005 Ford GT, with all three playing an influential part in representing 50 years of Ford motorsport.

The GT was built to emulate the success of the original GT40, specifically at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 where the GT40 secured one of its most famous victories of all time with a 1-2-3 photo finish. Incredibly, and despite a very short development period, the latest Ford GT won Le Mans exactly half a century later, in 2016, cementing it as a legend in its own right.

Ordering the new GT is unlike any other car buying experience. Colin was given a carbon fibre box contains a scale model of the GT on which the various wheel designs, paint and other options can all be applied and interchanged. Once Lazarus had decided on the final configuration for his Liquid Blue Ford GT, he built a customised Ford truck to help transport the GT safely between locations.

The GT40 Mk1 is famous for its 7,0-litre V8 producing 361kW and 644Nm which enabled it to do zero-100km/h in 4,2 seconds and a top speed of 321km/h.

The 2005 GT introduced supercharging technology to its 5.4-litre V8 for 410kW and 678Nm, resulting in a 0-100km/h time of 3,8 seconds and a slightly higher top speed of 330km/h.

The latest-generation GT is powered by a highly-tuned twin-turbocharged 3,5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine with 492kW of power, matched to 746Nm of torque. Zero to 100km/h is clocked in three seconds, with a top speed of 350km/h. The drivetrain transfers all this power to the rear wheels through a dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Five driving modes highlight the current GT’s breadth of capability with each one tuned for unique driving conditions. These modes work in tandem with moveable aerodynamics designed to balance downforce against speed.

When the rear wing is up, cooling ducts are closed to increase downforce, while a wing-down position opens the ducts to reduce drag for a higher top speed. Downforce is further enhanced by the car’s hydraulic suspension which can drop or raise the ride height instantly with the touch of a button on the steering wheel.

The GT’s striking and functional appearance is a result of the extensive use of carbon fibre. This has allowed engineers to sculpt the bodywork more aggressively down the flanks where it wraps and tapers around the compact V6 engine. The GT also has the lowest frontal area of any Ford model, adding to its sleek aerodynamics.

Like a true racing car, the seat position remains fixed while the entire pedal box and steering wheel setup is able to slide closer or further away, depending on the driver’s height and other preferences.

Ford's new SA built Ranger V6 model to boast 184kW and 600Nm

The new Ford Ranger, set to launch before the end of the year, will sport a new-generation V6 engine the carmaker confirmed, Briefly News reports.

Local media got their first glimpse of the new Ranger and Everest in the metal. Both models will be built at the US company's Silverton assembly plant in Pretoria. The power outputs for its four-cylinder engines were also confirmed.

180kW and 600N.m, those are the crucial numbers fans of the Ford Ranger will boast of when discussing the new generation bakkie at the bar. The 3,0-litre V6 turbodiesel headlines the range until the Raptor model arrives later. The four-cylinder engine options include the single-turbo.

Source: Briefly News