2016 Ford GT Unveiled At This Year's North American International Motor Show; New Mustang Shelby And Raptor Also Announced

Ford Motor Co. unveiled the latest incarnation of their beloved 2016 Ford GT supercar at the 2015 North American Motor Show, Detroit. The new model boasts a 3.5-liter turbocharged- V6 EcoBoost engine that produces 600 horsepower replacing the old supercharged V8.

The GT has come a long way from the racing legend, the GT40 in the 1960's to a supercar rivaling Porsche's and McLaren's; this one however, won't be a hybrid.

Constructed with a mixture of carbon fiber and aluminum, the new model's styling comprises of modern LED headlights upfront and raised the exhaust pipes at the back, it now sits in between the tail lights. The iconic twin air outlets are retained, sticking to the supercar's traditional styling.

"As we at Ford drive innovation into every part of our business, it's worth remembering that our first innovation as a company was not in a laboratory, but on the racetrack," said Mark Fields, Ford new CEO. "We are passionate about innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people's hearts pound."

Along with the 2016 Ford GT, replacements for the Ford Raptor and a racetrack-ready Mustang Shelby GT350R was also unveiled.

The GT350R's engine is a 5.2 liter flat-plane crank V8 that churns out more than 500 horsepower and 400 pounds per feet of tourque.

"The GT350 shown in Los Angeles was the first of many iconic nameplates the new car will wear, while the GT350R shows Ford is serious about establishing the car as a track-weapon of Ford fans who also are serious weekend racers." said Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

The new Raptor shares the same 3.5 liter V6 EcoBoost as the GT supercar, will be a full six-inches wider than the standard F-150 to improve stability and be coupled with a 10-speed transmission.

"When we created the first Raptor, we set out to prove vehicle performance isn't just measured on the street or at the track - off-road can be even more fun," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president.

The Ford GT will enter production in 2016. While there are no prices yet, the new model is expected to have a price tag higher than the previous model.

Stay tuned for more news on the 2016 Ford GT here at Franchise Herald.