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Written by independent automotive journalist Nicole Ellan James

2020 Ford GT Carbon Series will be selling with No Reserve at our 2022 Palm Beach Auction.

 

Ford. Ferrari. Le Mans. Shelby. We all know how the Ford GT40 came to be. But far less known or celebrated is the story behind the most recent iteration of the Ford GT supercar.

A few years ago during SAE International’s WCX conference, Raj Nair, Fords’ head of global product development and chief technology officer, let it slip that the company originally planned to celebrate its 50th-anniversary win at Le Mans with an S550 Mustang.

Code-named “Project Silver,” the Mustang was intended to compete in the GTE PRO class at the race. But in order for it to be competitive, it needed a lot of upgrades and modifications to the point it would carry a $250,000 price tag. In addition, the top brass at Ford didn’t think Le Mans was the best fit for the Mustang.

“To be candid, I still wanted to do it,” Nair told engineers in attendance at the conference in Detroit. “I was really mad,” Nair said, adding that at the time he felt the company was “underestimating the importance of the 50th anniversary” of the historic 1-2-3 win Henry Ford II and Carroll Shelby accomplished.

“I was just determined,” Nair said, adding, “we were going to have to do it, but we were going to have to do it differently.”

The result? Nair assembled a small team to work on the ultra-top-secret car in a ultra-top-secret room at Ford’s development center in Dearborn, MI.

Named “Project Phoenix” — as it rose from the ashes of the failed Mustang program — the new Ford GT was designed from the start to be both a street car and a racing machine.

One by one, Nair brought in the top Ford executives as the GT came together, which moved the car’s development forward and ultimately led to first- and third-place finishes at the Le Mans in June 2016.

“Our plan was clear,” Nair said of the GT’s development. He added that it was a test bed for engine development and new technology that would push the boundaries of the materials used. Nair said, “We had to stretch our understanding of what was possible with aerodynamics.”

Adding to the development, a few years later the 2020 Ford GT was given a lightweight sculpted carbon-fiber body with a unique clear coat over the exposed carbon-fiber weave. It received new buttress air ducts to increase airflow by 50% and increased suspension damping to enhance handling and body control further.

In the spirit of continuous evolution, the twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine received an additional 13 horsepower accompanied by a broader torque band, revised calibration and mechanical upgrades such as gallery-cooled pistons and higher-energy ignition coils. Other highlights include larger intercoolers to keep charge air temperatures lower and the standard Akrapovič titanium exhaust.

The 1966 Ford GT40 racecar weighed 2,682-pounds; keep in mind, it was a race car, unequipped with many features we deem necessary today. The 2020 model, equipped with all the modern creature comforts we expect a road car to have, is just 3,354-pounds.

Offered during the 2022 Palm Beach Auction, this particular 2020 Ford GT, Chassis No. 40, is a limited-edition Carbon Series and will sell with No Reserve.

Power is derived from a mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine factory rated with 660hp. The engine is mated to a 7-speed Getrag dual-clutch automatic transmission.

It is finished in Frozen White, complemented by a Carbon Red Graphics package that features red-accented side-view mirrors and a red center stripe down the exposed single carbon-fiber stripe covered with STEK paint protection film.

The vehicle sits on a set of gloss exposed carbon-fiber wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, brought to a stop by Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with red calipers.

This GT also has the upgraded Dark Energy leather interior, an option only available on Carbon Series cars starting with the 2020 models. The interior features an F1-inspired carbon-fiber steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara with an integrated LED rev indicator and 6-point harnesses with anchors.

This one-owner supercar has 242 actual miles and comes with its original Window Sticker, ordering kit with carbon-fiber case and other original documents.

 

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By: Barrett-Jackson
Title: RACING INTO THE FUTURE: The Technologically Advanced 2020 GT Carbon Series Pays Tribute To Ford’s Le Mans History
Sourced From: www.barrett-jackson.com/Media/Home/Reader/racing-into-the-future-2020-ford-gt-carbon-series/
Published Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:13:41 +0000

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.mansbrand.com/2022-scottsdale-auction-top-10-highest-selling-vehicles/

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Motor

Klassischer Charme: The new BMW R nineT 100 Years

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9 hours ago

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September 27, 2023

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bmw r ninet 100 years 745x497 1

BMW R nineT 100 Years edition
The iconic BMW boxer engine has been around a little longer than some folks realize: a hundred years, to be exact. It powered the very first BMW motorcycle, which broke cover in 1923.

That was the shaft-driven R 32, designed by Max Friz. It featured the familiar opposed cylinder engine layout, although the internals bear little resemblance to the modern-day powerplant.

BMW R nineT and R 18 100 Years edition

A 100th anniversary always calls for a celebration, so BMW Motorrad has created a pair of ‘100 Years’ special editions for its Heritage range: the R nineT Roadster and the R 18 Cruiser. And very appropriately, both models are limited to 1,923 units each.

We’re especially smitten with the charming BMW R nineT 100 Year shown here, which harks back to the monochrome aesthetic of classic BMW oldtimers.

BMW R nineT 100 Years editionRead More

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By: Chris Hunter
Title: Klassischer Charme: The new BMW R nineT 100 Years
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/bmw-r-ninet-100-years
Published Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:01:31 +0000

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Motor

Prizefighter: A custom Ducati Monster 600 built for a Turkish actor

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18 hours ago

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September 27, 2023

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custom ducati monster 600 1 745x497 1

Custom Ducati Monster 600 by Bunker Custom Cycles
The Ducati Monster is widely credited with saving the Italian marque in the 90s. Part of its success lies in its minimalist brawler aesthetic—and part of it lies in the fact that Ducati has always offered the Monster in myriad engine sizes at varying price points. If you couldn’t quite spring for an M900 back in 1994, the Ducati Monster 600 looked just as cool, cost less, and still made adequate power.

Decades on, the Monster is a very different beast and has even shed its trademark trellis frame. But the mid-90s Monster still has appeal—and it’s got tons of custom bike potential, as evidenced by this custom Ducati Monster 600 from Turkey’s Bunker Custom Cycles.

Custom Ducati Monster 600 by Bunker Custom Cycles

The 1998-model Monster 600 belongs to the Turkish actor Kadir Doğulu, who went through considerable effort to obtain it. The story goes that the bike was one of four imported to Turkey in the late 90s as show bikes for a major local 4×4 event. Kadir spotted it in the corner of a parking garage gathering dust and hassled the owner for ten years before he finally agreed to sell it.

By then, the Monster 600 was desperately in need of rescue. A decade of being parked had given the elements time to work, leaving the chassis, fuel tank, and a whole whack of alloy parts covered in rust. Kadir held onto the bike for a while, then called in the brothers at Bunker Custom Cycles, Mert and Can Uzer, to revive it.

Custom Ducati Monster 600 by Bunker Custom CyclesRead More

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By: Wesley Reyneke
Title: Prizefighter: A custom Ducati Monster 600 built for a Turkish actor
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/custom-ducati-monster-600
Published Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:57:09 +0000

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Motor

Where Is the 2024 Honda CB750 Hornet Naked Bike?

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2 days ago

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September 26, 2023

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Honda’s CB750 Hornet was officially unveiled in Europe last year, and has appeared in other markets globally—just not the US.
Honda’s CB750 Hornet was officially unveiled in Europe last year, and has appeared in other markets globally—just not the US. (Honda Europe/)

It’s been 25 years since Honda’s massively popular 600cc Hornet wheelied onto European tarmac, so when word got out a couple of years ago that a new Hornet was in development the buzz (sorry) around the internet was palpable. The first and second-gen Hornets were almost universally beloved for their light weight, revvy characterful engine, and uh, down-to-earth price tags. Fun, practical, and cheap? It’s no wonder crowds of riders signed up to own one. And while the naked-bike segment has evolved tremendously in the ensuing years, a midsize model with those same characteristics along with the reliability and build quality Honda’s known for—at the right price—might still put up a good fight against its Trident 660 and MT-07 rivals.

The Hornet’s chassis is dominated by a new lightweight diamond steel frame and Showa suspension front and rear.
The Hornet’s chassis is dominated by a new lightweight diamond steel frame and Showa suspension front and rear. (Honda Europe/)

Sure enough, Honda pulled the wraps off its long-anticipated CB750 Hornet at the 2022 Intermot show in Germany, and it had all the goods we could hope for: a rollicking 91 hp twin engine (not an inline-four like the old model), a robust menu of standard features, and a better-than-expected electronics package. The compact 755cc Unicam eight-valve parallel-twin engine was entirely new, as was the diamond steel frame, and the bike sported throttle-by-wire, ABS, four ride modes, traction and wheelie control, a six-speed transmission, and more.

Initial reports praised its fat midrange, agility, and unique sound (for a parallel twin). It weighed less than 420 pounds, and for a naked middleweight, the price was right; less than 8,000 euro (about $8,500 USD).

Related: 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp First Look Preview

The new Hornet shares its all-new compact 755cc parallel-twin engine with Honda’s just-released XL750 Transalp, though there are slight differences.
The new Hornet shares its all-new compact 755cc parallel-twin engine with Honda’s just-released XL750 Transalp, though there are slight differences. (Honda Europe/)

You can bet plenty of US riders immediately thought, “Great, North America will get it next year.” And really, that didn’t seem like an outlandish idea. The bike had been teased since at least 2021, beginning with computer illustrations and then more fleshed-out reveals of a concept version; it had now become a familiar formula, with Honda then usually releasing a full production model in Europe, followed a year later with entry into the North American market. But here we are at the end of 2023 and many of the 2024 US models have already been announced, including the reborn 2024 Transalp model, which—it almost feels like a slap in the face—uses the same exact 755cc engine as the Hornet. A bike with the same drivetrain as the Hornet, that wasn’t expected in the US at all this year, and yet…

Hello, Honda?

A 5.0-inch color TFT display allows access to rider modes, traction control, engine-braking, and anti-wheelie settings.
A 5.0-inch color TFT display allows access to rider modes, traction control, engine-braking, and anti-wheelie settings. (Honda Europe/)

As we said, the engine is all-new, with the parallel twin using Honda’s latest vortex airflow ducting to improve intake flow in the low-end and midrange. Peak power is 90.5 hp at 9,500 rpm, with max torque of 55.3 lb.-ft. coming on at 7,250 rpm. The Hornet’s 755cc mill also uses a 270-degree crank for an uneven firing interval that injects more character to its delivery as well as its sound.

To be fair, the Transalp’s mill is ever so slightly different, with the airbox inlets being longer to give it more midrange, and its back

Read More

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By: Andrew Cherney
Title: Where Is the 2024 Honda CB750 Hornet Naked Bike?
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/news/honda-cb750-hornet-coming-soon-rumors/
Published Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 22:17:08 +0000

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