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The 2019 New York International Auto Show

April 21, 2019 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

2019 is a curious year for the New York International Auto Show – at first look, there are some automakers that are notably absent – BMW, MINI, Volvo, and Mitsubishi skipped the show this year. In automotive parlance, the show is leaner, or more “muscular”. However the space on the show floor was taken up by some fresh new faces, most prominently with Rivian, the U.S.-based company producing electric adventure vehicles with a 400-mile range.

There were some significant launches; among them, Hyundai showed up with the 2020 Venue, a new SUV, as well as a sleek new Sonata with a digital key. Lincoln thankfully dropped the confusing letter-number naming convention with the Corsair, a compact luxury crossover that can seat five people. Toyota’s new offerings include the new revamped Highlander as well as a cute Yaris hatchback. Subaru showed off their sixth-gen 2020 Outback in the middle of a rather nice-smelling booth highlighting national forests.

Concept cars were super slick, creatively named, and largely electric – Kia revealed their HabaNiro concept with 300-mile all electric range. The Genesis Mint luxury electric concept was hard to even get close to after an off-site reveal the night before. VW showed up with not one but three concepts: the ID. Buggy, the compact Tarok Pickup Concept, and the Basecamp (the latter two have combustion engines). Another company new to NYIAS, Mullen, revealed the modular, aluminum and carbon fiber Qiantu K50 electric sportscar.

In the “If You Have to Ask You Can’t Afford It” supercar section of the show, Swedish maker Koenigsegg introduced their road-legal Jesko to North America, and Sleepy Hollow, New York’s Glickenhaus drove his 700-hp SCG 003S to the show. Dubbed the world’s most expensive SUV, the oddly angular and very very large Karlmann King will set you back about $2.3 million – perhaps more if you choose the armored option.

And then there were the special editions – so many fancy badges! Nissan was celebrating the 5oth Anniversary of the GT-R with some beautiful classics joining the 50^thAnniversary Edition. Tangentially, there is another larger independent booth display of classic of Z’s downstairs. (Not to be outdone, Toyota is displaying some classic Supras – JDM fans, this show’s for you). Dodge’s Challengers and Chargers will now be available in the Stars & Stripes Edition, and Alfa Romeo created a limited-edition 019 Quadrifoglio NRING (Nürburgring) for both the Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Giulia. Last but not least – Ford celebrated Mustang Day with the Ford Mustang Performance Package and hot dogs.

The New York International Auto Show in the Jacob Javits Center is open until April 28, 2019.

Global Rallycross Switches to Homologous Cars

February 28, 2018 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

In a surprising move, Red Bull Global Rallycross announced that a single, spec-series type rally cross car will replace Super Cars in the 2018 season. Now called Gold class, seven events will feature the cars. Looking forward to 2019, a Platinum-class purpose-built rallycross car will be introduced. The Gold series car has been created to level the playing field, so to speak, and highlight driver skill. The move may be perplexing to many fans of the series, however, as rallycross was originally launched with factory-built street cars bought from dealers then modified for racing. This approach appealed to brand enthusiasts and casual car fans alike, with a nod to the series’ roots in rally. The past three seasons have been dominated by Scott Speed of Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross winning the championship – perhaps Volkswagen’s recent domination of the series was an impetus for the switch – but previous to Volkswagen’s championship streak, Ford consistently topped the podium.

Red Bull GRC is definitely expanding the series and horizons having introduced the off-roading Polaris RZR® RS1 and the new Polaris class debuting in 2018. The series is also putting “outside of North America” back into the Global part of its name by announcing the season finale at Lydden Hill, UK, the birthplace of rallycross.

The 2018 season kicks off June 9-10 at Lancaster National Speedway in Buffalo, New York, the only east coast venue within shouting distance of Canada. It then heads to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Atlantic City, Seattle, then Lydden Hill.

Ford F-Series: Variations on a theme

January 4, 2018 by Gary Grant 2 Comments

With a massive season of BBQ events, you could say that 2017 was the year of the truck around here, as we hitched the DCS Appliances event trailer to what seemed like dozens of trucks. Naturally, with so many varieties of F-Series models in Ford’s line-up, we had the opportunity to put several different versions to work.

As the top selling trucks on the Canadian market for more than half a century, the F-Series is the undeniable king of the road. The only question for many potential buyers is: Which F-Series is right for them?

Our red F-150 tester begins an event journey loaded full of gear and towing the DCS Appliances event trailer.

F-150

The F-150 is the top selling passenger vehicle on the continent. Not just the top selling truck, but the top selling vehicle. As consumers’ love affair with light trucks continues and the traditional car segment shrinks, Ford showrooms continue to churn out F-150s at an unbelievable rate.

Newly revamped for the 2018 model year, the F-150 is close to being the “nice car” that many auto scribes fear. A vehicle which does everything it is supposed to do, with no surprises. It gets decent fuel economy, works hard and keeps its occupants comfortable. Despite being new, driving the F-150 somehow feels like hanging out with an old friend, which goes a long way towards explaining its ongoing sales success.

The previous model Eco-boost 6-cylinder model suffered from poorer fuel economy than most buyers expected, when driven in the real world. The 2018 model has received a new 10-speed automatic transmission which allows the 2.7L V6 to consume about 11 L/100 Km (22 MPG) in combined city and highway driving. Our testing confirmed that this is a real world number, even when towing our small event trailer with the bed loaded with coolers. On the road, the transmission shifts so smoothly that it is barely noticeable.

A trio of power options are available, allowing buyers to choose the best towing capacity for their needs, right up to 13,200 pounds (5,988 kg) which surprisingly comes from the 3.5 V6 and not the 5.0 V8 as many would expect.

Creature comforts abound, from available seat massagers to audio & video options, all using the latest version of Sync, which has proven itself to be a user friendly infotainment hub. Like the folks at GMC and Chevy, Ford now offers a WiFi hotspot in its trucks.

Driver aids have become the modern battlefield as automakers work to protect unskilled and inattentive drivers from themselves and the pickup market is not immune. To that end, Ford has made a wide range of technology available in the new F-150, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Information System which works with trailers up to 33′ in length and lane keep assist. A 360 degree camera aids drivers while backing into a spot and is super helpful when connecting a trailer.

We haven’t tried it, but reports from some colleagues say that the available Pro Trailer Backup Assist system is a game changer for those who are not confident backing up with a trailer.

The F-250 is a common sight on farms and construction sites.

F-250 Super Duty

Drive by pretty much any farm or construction site these days and you will see a line up of F-250 Super Duty trucks. For the old school truck fan, this is what we used to call a 3/4 ton truck. A big boy. That said, the days of the rough and tumble 3/4 ton beater are long gone. Today’s F-250 buyers can choose to option in all of the creature comforts and luxury items available on the F-150.

The big difference comes in the amount of work the vehicle is capable of. Depending on configuration, the F-250 Super Duty can tow up to 17,562 lbs. (7,983 kg.), half again as much as an F-150. Sitting a bit higher than the F-150 and having a stiffer ride than its smaller sibling, the F-250 also boasts a more imposing exterior look.

While it does ride higher that the F-150, it was not so much taller that we needed to resort to an extended drop hitch in order to haul the event trailer.

There was one negative that we discovered with the F-250 and surprisingly that was a towing feature. This model was equipped with dual pane mirrors, aimed at making it easier to back up a trailer. I’m sure it works fine with a large trailer, but with a small utility type trailer the convex portion of the mirror creates a weird situation when backing up, especially in the dark. The turning movement of the trailer can’t be seen until the trailer has “over” rotated. I guess what I mean is that every single time I backed the rig up, I could not keep it in a straight line and took multiple attempts to get the trailer where I wanted it.

F-350 Super Duty

This is where things get serious! After helping with the weekly press-car swap, my daughter was excited to report that she was at eye level with drivers of moving trucks while sitting stopped in traffic. In other words, the F-350 is a seriously large truck. Our tester was an F-350 Lariat, which is kind of a mid-range model. Full of most of the mod-cons mentioned above fitted to a vehicle with a cabin more spacious than some overseas hotel rooms.

This beast is powered by a 6.7L V8 Turbo Diesel which generates 440 horsepower and an inconceivable 925 lb-ft of torque which is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. When configured correctly, the Super Duty can tow up to 21,000 LB!

The height was so great that we would have needed a 6″ drop hitch to tow the event trailer with this truck, so we used it for hauling refreshments instead. We filled the bed with 30 cases of water, 20 cases of pop and a cooler with close to 100 lbs of smoked pork ribs. Nowhere near the 3,461 kg payload rating, the extra 230 kg weren’t even minutely noticeable behind the wheel.

Height is not the only thing one notices about the drive experience. All of that capability means that the F-350 has seriously tough underpinnings and that means a ride that is beyond stiff. If you are spatially challenged in a parking lot, a vehicle of this size is not for you. If you do need a truck with heavy duty work credentials however, the F-350 may be right up your alley.

Ford F-150 Raptor

With all of this talk about work, it might be easy to forget about the fun side of Ford’s F-Series. Powered by a twin-turbo V-6 descended from the mighty Ford GT, the Raptor has the soul of a desert racer. It gets the fantastic fuel economy expected of a winning endurance racing legend in the making, while also boasting hoon-tastic off-road performance. You can read our full review of the Raptor here.

Loads of choices

It is pretty easy to see why the F-Series has an ongoing grip on consumers, as the model line-up really does offer pretty much something for everyone from families and weekend warriors to farmers, construction crews and those who need to tow the biggest loads around.

Ken Block spotted filming Gymkhana 10 on the streets of Detroit

October 18, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

I had the good fortune to interview Ken Block a couple of years ago and he talked about trying to keep the Gymkhana series new and exciting, so it is little surprise that the franchise has finally made its way to Motor City.

Youtube user Revin caught some footage of Block and the newly revamped Hoonicorn Mustang shredding pavement on the John C. Lodge freeway outside of the Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Hall.

It makes one wonder if Kenny from Da Block might be making an appearance at the 2018 Detroit auto show!

2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

October 3, 2017 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

When one writes about a performance vehicle, rarely is fuel economy the lead discussion point, but the second generation Ford Raptor is not your average performance vehicle. Over more than a decade of reviewing vehicles, the single most expensive tank of fuel I have ever purchased belonged to the original Raptor. It was a whopping $167 and that was a few years ago, before gas prices skyrocketed. To be completely honest, while I was looking forward to driving the twin turbo V-6 powered 2017 model, I was dreading the cost of spending a week with it.

For the uninitiated, the Raptor is an off road edition of the popular Ford F-150. Unlike some such packages which amount to little more than a sticker package and bigger tires, the Raptor is heavily massaged to give it real deal desert racing type performance. Cosmetics in the form of fat fenders, an over the top sticker package and an aggressive wheel/tire package are backed up with some serious mechanical upgrades under the skin.

A classic Mercury pickup was waiting for the Raptor at one of our special events!

Make no mistake, the visual of the truck is nothing less than imposing and garners attention everywhere from the gas station to the girl at the drive through window who squealed “Oh my GOD, I LOVE your Raptor!” I even caught my next door neighbour poking around under the wheel arches, exclaiming that “This thing really is different from my base F-150”.

The first-gen Raptor was powered by a premium gas swilling V8 that provided swift performance despite the truck’s ample heft while sending an audio notice to anybody within earshot that this truck meant business. For the new model, engineers took a page from the Ford GT’s playbook and fitted a 3.5L V6 which is fed by a pair of turbochargers to fit the brand’s Ecoboost obsession. That 450-ish horsepower mill is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission which offers silky smooth shifts and promises improved fuel economy.

The Ecoboost powered Ford GT roars into the night at the 2016 running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Being a bit of an old school truck guy, I have to say that I was skeptical of the way the boosted six would sound. A performance truck should rumble like a Trans-Am car and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Around town, the Raptor sounds like Tim Taylor’s hopped up Shop-Vac. To be fair, at full throttle, it does sound like a Ford GT race car, but ain’t nobody can afford to drive it like that all the time! A big ol’ V8 rumble would be much more fitting.

Wary of my past history with the Raptor, my drive home consisted of setting the adaptive cruise control to 106 KM/H and letting technology look after the fuel economy. I posted an Instagram picture showing a very impressive 11.6 L/100 KM. My buddy Eric Novak over at EnviroDad commented: “Don’t get used to it…” Eric and I have VERY different driving styles, so this comment had me worried.

Pretty impressive fuel economy for my first stint in the 2017 @fordcanada Raptor #truckin #truckyeah #trucklife #turbo #ford #raptor

A post shared by Gary Grant (@thegarageguy) on Sep 18, 2017 at 12:06pm PDT

My kid drove the truck to his girlfriend’s and back. In 20 minutes, the average economy jumped to almost 14. I became more worried.

My Wife commented that I was driving like a little old lady every time I got behind the wheel and yet the consumption climbed to 16.9 L/100 KM while driving mostly around town.

Then, as we began to put the Raptor to work, some sort of magic happened.

We loaded the bed full of coolers and tables and towed the DCS Appliances event trailer to a gig in the country. Fuel economy improved. Then, we loaded up again for a trip to the MLRC Rallycross in Bancroft. No trailer this time, but lots of pop, water, ice, tables and a big camp stove, so there was some weight in the back.

After feeding the rallycross competitors, we headed out of Bancroft, the bed full of catering gear but minus all of the heavy stuff. I decided to take a road that we have never been down, just to see where it went. The semi-rural tarmac road wound its way past a few houses and then the tiny local air strip before degrading to gravel and becoming a bit more twisty. Soon, we came upon a yellow sign warning of “No Winter Maintenance”, which is Ontario’s notice that fun times are ahead. Game on!

At this point, the reasoning behind owning a Raptor become more apparent than ever. The track narrowed so much that at some points, the Raptor was wider than the gravel surface. So tight and twisty that 60 km/h felt like we were in a stage rally, the Raptor’s Fox Racing shocks soaked up every rock ledge that the Canadian shield threw its way. So much so that I commented on how smooth the ride was despite the rough surface.

The BFG A/T Ko2 is the perfect tire for tackling the rough stuff in the Raptor.

Driving in Off Road mode, the transmission shifts were set to allow for higher revolutions, keeping the turbos spooled up for instant power availability. The stability control was dialed back a bit, allowing for a healthy dose of easily manageable tail wagging. That is a good thing on really loose surfaces, where the big truck initially wants to understeer towards the woods, until a bit of welly coaxes the back end to come around, pointing the front end in the intended direction. The standard B.F. Goodrich All Terrain Ko2 tires are the perfect choice for this type of driving.

Back on the pavement, we continued our sunny Sunday afternoon drive in comfort, as the Raptor rolled along cottage country roads surprisingly peacefully.

At our final event of our week with the Raptor, one participant arrived in his own Raptor, identical to the one we were towing with. He joked that the dealer promised that it was a unique truck and here he was rolling into a Holiday Inn parking lot and the caterer had the same machine! Given that he had just driven from Montreal, we talked about fuel economy. I told him about my early experience and he said “No way, driving that slow is way too boring”. He had set his cruise control somewhere north of 130 KM/H and still saw an indicated consumption of under 16 L/100 KM.

In a week of mixed urban highway, country roads, fully loaded and towing along with an hour of what could best be called spirited dirt track driving thrown in, the Lightning blue beast sipped just 14.4 L/100 KM. That is better than many small crossovers would have fared in the same driving.

With a base price of $68,399 here in Canada, our tester had a fully load of options that bumped the ticket to an additional $15,100. The honest truth then is that the buyer of a pickup truck worth 85 grand isn’t going to be quibbling over fuel costs, but the most I put in the tank was $125 which is a really good saving over the previous, V8 powered version. A bit of financial practicality never hurt anybody!

Ford GT Gets Even Lighter, Faster

March 1, 2017 by Scott Huntington Leave a Comment

Editor’s note: We’d like to welcome Scott Huntington to The Garage Blog! This is his first story, so we’ll ignore the fact that he did not mention that the Ford GT is built from the ground up, here in Canada, not in America as most people think!

We know it’s been getting to you. The lack of sleep, constant nail-biting and pacing can end now because there’s an answer to the question, “Will my Ford GT be fast enough?”

Really, how fast does it need to be? The answer, of course, is “faster than everything my friends drive,” and therein lies the problem. If you’re someone special enough to make it on Ford’s double-secret Ford GT future owners list that’s written in a basement somewhere and can only be viewed under blacklight, chances are your friends can hang.

Ford Adds Lightness

So now, for those who’ve got to outshine the guy who just picked up a new McLaren or Porsche RS, there’s the Ford GT Competition Series. We know because it showed up the other day on Ford’s car configurator.

Ford even claim the car is the nearest thing you can buy to the 2016 Le Mans-winning GT race car that channeled the Dearborn company’s racing heritage direct from the late 1960s. It uses the Colin Chapman approach: Anything not critical to driving must go.

Cutting Carbs and Adding Carbon

That means your stereo, cup holders and air conditioning don’t stand a chance, but the crash diet doesn’t stop there. The bulkhead behind the driver has in fact been narrowed, and all glass in the car has been replaced by lightweight alternatives — Gorilla Glass in the front and Perspex for the engine cover, which no longer opens automatically because lightness.

One of the greatest things about lightweight cars is they typically rock an absurd amount of everyone’s favorite lightweight woven Wonderbread, carbon fiber. For the GT, which already uses a carbon body, that means even the wheels are made of the stuff, and they get special titanium lug nuts. Even the exhaust is made of carbon.

Slim and Stylish

We’re guessing road noise from inside this new GT flavor is increased, but you will certainly look cool in it. The car’s trademark stripe is done in exposed carbon, and the tasteful lightweight goodies don’t end outside.

The dash and doors are made of exposed carbon, and the Comp. Series cars get unique instrument bezels. Shift paddles are done in anodized red, which is the color of choice for all the interior bits that aren’t carbon or black.

Ford will build only 250 Competition Series cars per year, as if the GT wasn’t already exclusive enough. Keep a close eye on that configurator — when they’re gone, they’re gone.

2017 F-150 King Ranch is the aspirational king of the pickups

January 26, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

With more than 118,000 units sold in Canada in 2016 and more than half a century of leading the sales charts, Ford’s F-150 is the undisputed king of the light truck market. Available in a mind boggling array of configurations, to suit just about any truck buyer’s needs, the most coveted model is arguably the King Ranch edition. While some performance fans might argue that the fire breathing Raptor is the one to have, most buyers are more likely to have an affinity for the King Ranch’s Western inspired motif.

Our tester was adorned with a stunning blue hue dubbed, somewhat appropriately “Blue Jeans”. It is a variety of that royal blue metallic colour that many manufacturers have been using of late, the one that makes even the most mundane looking vehicle look like it belongs in the executive valet lot. The tough looking F-150 takes on a more regal demeanor when drenched in this shade than what one might expect from a truck.

From here, the specs on this truck can become a bit confusing. One of the challenges that new sales people and dealers who put more focus on passenger cars face with pickups built by the Detroit three is a mind boggling array of model combinations that often make no sense. The confusion can be made worse when the materials available to the consumer are less than accurate. Our ’17 King Ranch is a perfect example of how confusing this can be.

According to the Ford consumer website, the 2017 F-150 King Ranch is available only with a special edition black leather interior with red accents. It is also only available with a 5.0L V8 mated to a six speed manual transmission.

In the crew quarters, the unit we enjoyed boasted a stunning “java” coloured leather interior “Mesa Antique” leather accents that totally look the part of a ranch owner’s wagon. Real wood inserts are placed around the interior, adding to the Western vibe. As comfy as expected for front and rear passengers, the interior also offers much practicality. The rear seats swing up out of the way to create substantial cargo space. Perfect for keeping the groceries out of the weather. I’m betting that you could even fit a big honkin’ flat screen TV back there.

Interior colour choices aren’t the only differences as our test unit was powered by the 3.5L V6 Ecoboost engine, mated to the much anticipated 10-speed automatic transmission.

As many owners of the 2016 model Ecoboost 3.5 equipped truck had complained about dismal fuel economy, Ford likely hopes that the 10-speed unit will rectify the vehicle’s thirsty reputation. To add a bit of real world perspective, my cousin who lives in Texas recently picked up a 2016 Ecoboost and has been recording an average of about 15.7 US miles per gallon. A retired Supercross racer, he admits to having a heavier foot than most. Our own week with the ’17 was a mixed bag of highway and very short trips around town. The on board computer reported an average for the week of 16.9 L/100KM, which translates to, wait for it, 14.7 MPG.

As frightening as that number is, I have to give Ford a break here. With just a tick over 2,000 km on it, this engine is nowhere near close to being broken in and was likely only on its third tank of fuel. New engines typically get up to 30 per cent poorer fuel economy than expected as the engine breaks in and computer systems “learn” and adapt to a driver’s habits. Add in the fact that most press vehicles are constantly being driven by different operators, with different driving styles, and the poor engine computer system has its work cut out for it. As if all of that wasn’t enough, our drive took place during a cold spell, which diminishes fuel economy even further.

So how did the 10-speed feel you ask? The shifts are so smooth that they are imperceptible. So much so that it didn’t even dawn on me that this was the ten speed until after I finished driving the truck. This might just be the smoothest transmission I have ever felt in a pickup. If Ford’s consumer website is to be believed, this transmission is not available with the V8, which is a shame, as that would be one sweet combo.

I didn’t have a chance to tow with this truck, but a ’16 model with the same engine that we tested earlier this year made easy work of the event trailer we’ve been hauling around, so I have no doubt that this drivetrain will be happy to cart around the weekend toys that most of these trucks seem to be used for.

One of the features I love most on the F-150 is the power retractable running boards. They live beneath the body, leaving a much cleaner line than an old school stationary board, deploying when any door is opened. They make the step up into the vehicle super simple and feel extra sturdy, even when supporting a big boy like me. I am not such a big fan of the short kick down steps which allow access to the bed, as every time I have tried to use one of these during the Winter, they have been frozen shut. This truck was no exception.

It may sound like I have rambled off a bunch of negatives here, which isn’t overly typical of my reporting. The reality is however that the F-150 is the standard by which all other pickups are judged, and for good reason. The truck really is that good, which makes items which aren’t so perfect stand out.

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve here is the confusion that consumers are presented with when trying to research their own purchase. If their dealer isn’t a true truck specialist, navigating the spec process would be a nightmare. Dealers and potential customers deserve better.

One week with the 2016 Ford Focus RS

September 21, 2016 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

After years of stiffing the North American market, Ford has finally brought the hottest of their hot hatches to our shores for 2016. I finally got to spend some time at the wheel of the incredible Ford Focus RS.

After the first few days of redline shifts and generally being a noisy nuisance, I discovered that the blue bomb is a thirsty wee beastie when driven hard. It isn’t too bad when driven like a grannie though.

Historic Canadian 1966 Ford GT40 sells for $4.4 Million

August 21, 2016 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to spend some time with a special car that had just been restored by our friends at Legendary Motorcar, a 1966 Ford GT40 Mk1 road car.

Not just any GT40 (as if there were such a thing), chassis number P/1028 has a unique Canadian history. The first road car delivered to North America, P/1028 did a short stint as a test car in Michigan before being put into service as a PR vehicle. You know, the vehicles that are sent out to auto journalists to flog. It also found its way onto the pages of Mechanix Illustrated and Playboy.

The car was sent north, to the care of Comstock Racing Team Manager Paul Cooke, where it was to be used to build buzz for the team’s P/1037. Cooke, who was on hand when the freshly restored car was unveiled at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, says that P/1038 lived in his Toronto garage during that time. It was his job to ensure that the car was visible at events all over, so Cooke drove it to media events, restaurants and the like during the week. Come race weekends, Cooke and the GT40 would arrive at host tracks a few days early in order for the local press to have a go at the exotic machine.

Shelby specialist Peter Klutt, owner of Canadian restoration house Legendary Motorcar, says that he actually wasn’t aware of the P/1028’s Canadian connection when the car was acquired. It wasn’t until the restoration began that the early history became apparent.

Not only was P/1038 the first North American road car, but it was the only one to be fitted with a full host of creature comforts like air conditioning and leather trim, making it truly a one of a kind car.

When the time came to send the car back to Ford, Cooke requested first right of refusal should the car ever go up for sale. That time came later, when Cook says he was deeply involved with a team that was racing McLaren cars in the Can-Am series. The asking price was around $2,500 at the time, which Cooke felt was a bit too steep to justify the purchase, so he let it go.

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Last night at the Mecum Auction in Monterey, P/1028 sold for a whopping $4.4 Million.

Talk about the one that got away!

Mecum Auctions lot description

GT40 no. P/1028

First road car delivered to North America

Ford test and evaluation car

Ford North America Public Relations car

Early development road specification GT40

Same family owned for nearly 40 years

The only GT40 road car delivered new with air conditioning, leather trim, luggage boxes, undersealed chassis and painted with a special finish

11,000 original miles

289 CI V-8 engine

5-speed manual transmission

Among the most significant of the road going GT40s

Comprehensive four year restoration finished in 2016

Correct NOS parts

Documented by GT40 historian Ronnie Spain

Built at the Ford Advanced Vehicles factory in Slough, Buckinghamshire, England, P/1028 was the first road car delivered to North America. When P/1028 landed at the Ford Division headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, it was briefly used as a test and evaluation car on Ford’s test track. Shortly after, it served as Ford North America’s official Promotional GT40.

In many ways, these early road cars were production racing coupes slightly converted for the street, but they still carried many of their competition features, including only driver-side seat support, two fuel pressure gauges, battery-mount brackets in passenger foot well, lighter fiberglass, etc. At the same time, they developed P/1028 to be as comfortable and luxurious as possible to show the U.S. market, and it is the only GT40 outfitted this way. Fully optioned and fitted with leather upholstery and trim, padded dash, air conditioning, centered rearview mirror, heated windscreen and luggage boxes. In addition, the build sheet noted “undersealed chassis” and a “High Performance” 289 with a single Holley 4-barrel carburetor and Sunbeam Tiger air cleaner and rated at a healthy 335 HP. Using the same ZF 5-speed gearbox as the race GT40s, the road cars employed special exhaust silencers, softer brake pads and shock absorbers that were 25-percent softer than the race units. Making these road cars much more suitable for the street, still, the road coupes were capable of astounding performance, very similar to the production racing coupes.

Before P/1028 left Ford to go on its promotional tour, a series of photos were taken at Ford’s styling studio dated 3/9/1966 showing just more than 1,000 miles on the odometer. The first stop on the promotional tour was to the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. It was paraded around the event all weekend and was parked in the pit lane prior to the race, for spectators to get a closer look. After Sebring, the GT40 traveled through the United States to dealerships, car shows and exhibits. In the July edition of “Playboy” magazine, P/1028 appeared in a four-page spread discussing the car. Its next magazine appearance was in “Mechanix Illustrated,” September 1966, where Tom McCahill tested the GT40 at Ford’s test track in Dearborn.

After six months of traveling around the United States, P/1028 was sent to Comstock Racing in Toronto, Canada to continue its promotional outings in Canada. Comstock Racing was Canada’s most successful racing team and had a great relationship with Ford and Shelby. On one occasion, Ken Miles was loaned to Comstock to race the group’s 289 Cobra at Mosport. P/1028 followed around Comstock’s Racing Coupe P/1037, and the rest of the Comstock racing team for the remainder of the 1966 season, traveling to tracks like St. Jovite, Mosport, Westwood, Watkins Glen and more. There is film of Eppie Wietzes driving P/1028 around St. Jovite during the Can-Am weekend, where it was used as the pace car.

After the 1966 season ended in Canada, P/1028 was shipped to Kar-Kraft, painted blue and was used as a Ford VIP car for Ford Executive Fran Hernandez. Sometime in 1967, P/1028 was finally sold to its first owner David Tallaksen a former 12 Hours of Sebring class winner. By 1969, the GT40 made its way to Monterey Historics founder Steve Earle and was featured in “Sports Car Graphic” magazine. After spending time with another California owner, P/1028 was purchased by the Schroeder family of Burbank in 1975. During their stewardship, the car was relatively frequently shared with the public. It was repainted in the famous Blue-and-Orange Gulf livery for a Gulf television ad in 1981 and was then displayed at the Justice Brothers Racing Car Museum in Duarte, California. It was exhibited at the 2003 Monterey Historic Races marking Ford’s Centennial.

After nearly 40 years of ownership, P/1028 was sold and a complete ground-up restoration was started. After completely disassembling the car, everyone was happy to find an extremely original car, the way an approximate 11,000 original mile car with an undersealed chassis should be. The original metallichrome silver paint was found under the Gulf, and dark blue layers of paint, almost all of the hard-to-find original pieces that came off the car for the Gulf commercial came with the car in boxes, and as Ronnie Spain states, “it is impossible to get a cleaner bill of health than this as far as originality of a GT40 chassis is concerned.” With the help of Ronnie Spain, Mark Allen, Jay Cushman and Graham Endeacott, Legendary Motorcar was able to finish P/1028 to an extremely high level of detail, sourcing as many original parts, pieces and material as possible. Today, P/1028 looks the exact same way it rolled down to the pits in Sebring 50 years ago. Between the historical significance, originality and quality of restoration, P/1028 is certainly one of the most important road-going GT40s in existence, and it is publicly for sale for the first time in its life.

Jeff Ward is SH Rallycross’s New GRC Driver

May 3, 2016 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

With the Bull Global Rallycross season opener fast approaching May 21-22 in Phoenix, Arizona, silly season has become serious. Today Jeff Ward and SH Rallycross announced that he will be driving the #07 Ford Fiesta ST sponsored by MET-Rx in eight races in 2016. In previous GRC seasons, the #07 car was piloted by Nelson Piquet Jr. While at publication time we haven’t heard anything official from Piquet, the natural assumption is that he will be concentrating his efforts in the nascent Formula e series as he is gone from the Red Bull GRC website roster. However, Ward brings a formidable competitive edge to rallycross, including seven AMA motocross championship wins and an Indycar win in 2002 at Texas Motor Speedway. He competed at the Daytona double header and Washington DC in 2015, filling in for Brian Deegan.

Jeff Ward

Patrik Sandell has signed on for a second year with Bryan Herta Rallysport. Also piloting a Ford Fiesta ST, this will be the Swede’s fourth year competing in GRC. He had one win in Detroit in 2015 and four podium finishes.

Detroit 2015

Sandell, Washington DC 2015

There are a few more newcomers to Lites:

15 year-old Cole Keatts will compete on the OMSE team with a background in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and the JR2 Kart championship
Cabot Bigham joined Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, coming to GRC from FCC Pro Formula Mazda
Travis Pecoy and Christian Brooks join AF Racing
Jackie Heinricher is noticeably back off the roster, concentrating on driving a Lamborghini in the Super Trofeo series – leaving Collete Davis the sole female competitor.

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