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Gleaming orange paint with tungsten racing stripes.
A removable hard-top aluminum roof. Custom designed forged modular wheels.
And a 618-horsepower, 5.4L supercharged V-8 engine.
The
2005 Ford GTX1 Roadster = Let the drooling begin.
The allure of the roadster is undeniable. “To me, the open-air model of a
sports car is its highest evolution,” says Kip Ewing, the Ford SVT
engineering supervisor who dreamed up 2005 GTX1.
The idea for the GTX1, which debuts this week at the 2005 Specialty
Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, came while Ewing
was working with the team at Ford on the launch of the Ford GT. Further
design inspiration came from the classic 1966 Ford GTX1 roadster, a
Sebring winner. Then, he let his own design instincts take over. “I always
ask myself, ‘What would I do if this were my car?’” says Ewing. “Luckily,
Ford was willing to let me find out.”
After months of design work, Ewing was given a green light to build the
prototype. He turned to Mark Gerisch of Genaddi Design Group, a Master
Coachbuilder whose shop is located in Green Bay.
During the four months that the prototype was being built, Ewing gave up
nearly every weekend to travel the 500 miles from Detroit to Genaddi
Design Group’s headquarters so he could provide hands on assistance and
design expertise. “I could never have finished this project without the
understanding and support of my wife Emily and son Lucas."
We don't know what's next for Kip's drawing board, or what other projects
are ready for he and Mark Gerisch of Genaddi Design Group, but if this is
any indication I am sure it will be worth waiting for.
For now, we’ll just savor the 2005 GTX1. And wish there was one sitting in
our driveway.
The upgrade of your Ford GT to a GTX1 is $38,000 USD, additional options
include but are not limited to wheels and tires, custom paint, interior
trim package with Sparco silver grommet seats, Brembo two piece rotors
with Brembo logo calipers, adjustable coil over shocks, Borla exhaust and
headers, engine performance upgrades, carbon fiber splitter diffuser with
side spats.
Pricing details and a more comprehensive list of options with further
details are forthcoming.
Sexy Ladies & Cool Cars
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