Ford introduced the GT40 racecar in 1964, and it went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times on the trot, from 1966 to 1969. The car gained legendary status, and was briefly resurrected as a limited-production street model, the Ford GT, from 2005-2006.
Ford is reintroducing its halo car for a new generation. The 2017 Ford GT debuted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last year. A mid-mounted, EcoBoost twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 produces over 600 horsepower. The seats are built into the carbon fiber passenger cell, so they cannot be moved. The GT features an electronically adjustable steering wheel and pedals, similar to the system found in the LaFerrari.
The GT’s front end is tipped with a carbon fiber air splitter, a cavernous air dam, and two large hood vents. The body and tub are made of hand-laid carbon fiber, which creates a tremendous power-to-weight ratio. Massive intercoolers and turbos feed air to the engine, while excess heat is passed through the car’s hollowed-out taillights.
It is rumored that initial production of the Ford GT will be limited to 200 units, of which 100 will be allocated for the U.S., according to a source at Autoweek. The remainder will be sold in the UK and other global markets, particularly in Europe. The total expected run will be under 1,000 over the car’s lifetime. Compare this to the two-year production run of the previous generation, which ended at just over 4,000 units.
With a starting price of around $400,000, the next GT will be as far out of reach as the world’s most exotic cars. There are also rumors of a screening process that will make things difficult for even the most well-heeled gearheads. Ford will handpick customers for the 2017 GT, based on brand loyalty and ownership of the previous GT. Other companies including Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche have employed similar methods to single out those they deem to be the most worthy of their flagship vehicles.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.