Image Courtesy: Ford Motor Company
Over the years, automotive manufacturers have gathered for an event known as the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA). In association with the Boston, Massachusetts Museum of Fine Arts and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, this year’s event recognized the all-new 2017 Ford GT as the tentative awardee to receive the Gene Rivto Award.
The award recognizes manufacturers and its vehicles, whether a production or a concept vehicle, for their design and elegance.
This endeavor makes for the second occasion that Ford Motor Company has received an award, with the first one being received back in 2012 for the second generation Ford Fusion. “It is an honor to receive this award, an accolade that the entire team behind the all-new Ford GT can proud of,” Moray Callum, vice president of design for Ford Motor Company said during a press release. “The 2017 Ford GT has a revolutionary design that maintains the essence of the original GT40, while making it into a 21st century car. This vehicle truly demonstrates our commitment to performance and innovation in every aspect of our business.”
The all-new GT boasts a ton of impressive technology, like carbon fiber wheels, a twin turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine producing more than 600 horsepower, and a Gorilla Glass windshield that is 30 percent lighter and stronger than similar traditional glass.
But the trials and tribulations which took place have not been easy for the engineers at Ford Motor Company and Ford Performance.
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“The challenge of producing a car like this is that the original is one of the most iconic and decorated cars in American automobile history,” Zachary Dollar of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston said. “Ford kept enough of the soul of the original that it is still identifiable, but used modern tools, materials, and technology to make it a car of today.” Still with that said, more than 7,000 applications for the all-new Ford GT have been completed for the all-new blue oval supercar. And if you’ve kept up-to-date on Ford GT news, you’ll know that only 500 vehicles total will be produced in the next two years.
You’ll also know that this isn’t the first time the Ford GT has won an award for the technology it brings to the table. In December of last year, the Ford GT earned the Vehicle Of The Year title at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Continuing its award winning streak (literally) with the Children’s Choice Award (and stomping Ferrari in the process) in October of last year as well.
So what is next for the Ford GT? “The Ford GT is the future in the present,” President Craig Fitzgerald of NEMPA said. “But it never strays too far from the proportions that made the GT40 an instant classic. The Ford GT is no nostalgia car, but it looks back with enough fondness to make it appealing to every generation of car enthusiast. It’s a worthy recipient of the award named for our friend Gene Ritvo.”