Ford GT (2017 to 2022) buying guide

Power is 647 hp in 2017 to 2019 cars, with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, per Car Collector International. From 2020 it is 660 hp, with revised cooling, a stiffer track mode and an Akrapovič titanium exhaust. Octane Files adds gallery-cooled pistons, higher-energy ignition coils, larger intercoolers and new buttress ducts that move about fifty percent more air. Torque on the later engine is 550 lb-ft, according to Model Year Matters.

CarsCounsel calls 2020 to 2022 the best late-generation choice, thanks to the extra power and improved cooling, and says 2017 to 2019 cars deserve careful handling because of early thermal management concerns. It rates 2017 the most challenging year, with teething issues and track cooling limits. Octane Files says earlier cars are not lesser, only a different specification, and the 660 hp cars carry a premium. The market treats that split differently, and our price guide shows how.

The special editions complicate things. Octane Files lists a Heritage edition for each year, in small runs: 27 cars in 2017 (styled as '66), 39 in 2018 ('67), 50 in 2019 (Gulf-liveried '68), 50 in 2020 ('69) and 50 in 2021 ('66 Daytona). For 2022 there was a '64 Heritage, a Holman Moody edition and an Alan Mann edition capped at 30. The LM Edition, the final twenty cars built in 2022, tops the range.

For drivers, Octane Files picks the Carbon Series: around 50 cars in 2019 with carbon wheels and titanium lug nuts and exhaust, roughly 40lb lighter. The Competition Series lost roughly 140lb, and fewer than 15 were made in 2017 and 2018. Track-only Mk II (45 cars) and Mk IV (67) models are a separate matter.

The record is short, but it contains a fire risk and a cooling issue on early cars.

Rear wing valve block leak

Pressure in the rear wing hydraulic valve block can push fluid onto the exhaust on 2017 and 2018 cars built from 20 December 2016 to 31 July 2018, 176 in the US. Octane Files reports one car burned in Germany, and a leak near an ignition source can cause a fire. The fix is FIVC software revision R201 or later, plus a check valve, filter and hydraulic pump o-rings where needed.

Incomplete recall repairs

A second recall covers two 2017 US-spec cars that did not get the correct software update the first time, according to Astro Ford. A car with a recall stamp can still need proof the right work was done.

Overheating on track

CarsCounsel says early 2017 to 2019 cars can overheat in sustained track sessions, because the intercoolers and oil coolers struggle with the twin-turbo V6's thermal loads. If you plan track days, this is the weak point of the early cars.

Early engine failures

Some owners reported engine failures on early cars that needed replacement under warranty, CarsCounsel says. Ford replaced several engines and added cooling updates, so an early car's service history should say which engine it has.

Electrics and active aero

CarsCounsel warns of electrical gremlins, and the complex active aerodynamic systems need specialized diagnostic equipment. Diagnosis is not a job for a general garage.

The sources give few figures. Octane Files calls the tires a serious running cost. OwningSupercars says Ford states the service intervals and oil specifications, and the work requires Ford Performance certification, so budget for dealer or certified-technician labor rather than a local shop.

No source we read gives a repair bill for the engine, the rear wing system or the carbon structure. Get quotes from a certified technician before you buy, particularly on an early car with an unknown engine history.