With all the hype surrounding the GT500, Ford declared it would make a special supercar announcement during the Goodwood Festival of Speed event from July 4-7, 2019. The automaker preceded the release with a teaser image depicting the car in silhouette.

This announcement confirmed that the Ford GT’s competitive career will close in style — with the unveiling of the GT Mk II. Ford has removed the restrictions normally placed on road and race cars, making it possible to test the limits of what the engine can achieve.

Road cars are limited by multiple global requirements while race cars have the restriction of performance balance, making it 150 hp less powerful. The Ford GT Mk II, however, is free of limitations, rules, and regulations. As Ford’s Chief Product Development Officer, Hau Thai-Tang, explains, “This is the closest owners can get to 2016’s Le Mans-winning performance.”

Due to its non-compliance of rules and regulations, the Mk II is a track only, ultra-high performance, limited edition supercar — not legal for the streets and not viable for any race series. Here, we look at what Ford has achieved with their latest release.

The features of GT Mk II

The Mk II has an upgraded 3.5-liter twin-turbo Ecoboost V6 engine able to produce 700 hp. This is 200 hp more than the regulation-restricted Le Mans Ford GT, making it the most powerful GT ever made.

To keep the model from overheating, Ford included a new air-to-air intake; a roof scoop that feeds air to the vehicle’s auxiliary engine; clutch and transmission coolers; and a water spray function that automatically kicks in at high temperatures. Though the MK II’s gearbox is similar to the seven-speed dual-clutch one in their road car models, it’s recalibrated as it no longer has to deal with parking or traffic.

The car’s aerodynamics have similar upgrades, including a huge diffuser and a dual-element rear wing, as well as new front splitters, louvers, and dive planes.

Lightweight features

Ford also focused on saving weight. The automaker replaced the adjustable modes and ride height available in the road car with five-way adjustable DSSV shock absorbers and a fixed road-hugging ride-height. This makes the Mk II as aerodynamic as possible and saves more than 200 pounds.

The priority to save weight further means the passenger seat is optional. The driver has a specially designed racing seat with a six-point harness. (And the Ford GT Mk II does not have airbags.)

These changes allow the MK II to produce 400% more downforce than the road car model and easily achieve more than 2G lateral grip. The GT Mk II also has carbon-ceramic brakes — stronger than those utilized in the road car — and Michelin Pilot Sport Racing tires fitted on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels.

Some of the Ford GT’s street-legal versions are already quite expensive, and the Mk II will be no different. For those interested in getting their hands on the new Ford GT Mk II, you will have to part with $1.2 million — and you’ll have to do it fast since Ford only plans to make 45 of them.