So how many driver modes do you need in a supercar? How many is enough?
Pay out £320,000 for the new Ford GT (if you can buy one, production is already sold out for 2017 unless you go to a broker) you will get a car that does 216mph, with 638bhp and FIVE driver modes! It is a 3.5 litre V6 mid engine carbon fibre supercar weighing just a little more than a Ford Focus.
Your modes are configured for a variety of different circumstances. The wings will do something very cool on one of them too!
Normal mode: This is sensible mode, use it in everyday mode. It does practical things. It raises the ride height to 120mm clearance, so you can actually drive over speed bumps, zebra crossing etc. without having to stop and get a ramp out. It also locks on the traction and stability controls so it is a sensible mode for sensible driving. The back wing will make an entrance at 90mph usefully signalling to Police by popping up that you are of course exceeding the speed limit disappearing again at 81mph. It is also acts, as an airbrake so will deploy under hard breaking. You can have comfort mode too, which makes the ride a little softer and dare we say comfortable.
Wet Mode: This is similar to normal mode, yet throttle sensitivity is less to help your heavy right foot in such conditions. The ‘Digital Instrument Display’ similar to the Audi changes in wet mode turns blue and adds wet look graphics in case you forget it is raining.
Sport Mode: Now we are shifting up the gears so to speak. The display goes to orange and moves the information to show gear change with the speed to the right. The throttle is more responsive the car has an anti-lag system, which will work harder to suppress the turbo lag. Gear changes are quicker. You can now adjust the traction control settings, but not the ride height it remains at 120mm though you no longer get to ride in a comfort setting. The wing will now pop-up at 70mph confusing the Police completely, so they no longer will be able to tell your speed from the wing.
Track Mode: “This mode is for track use only,” helpfully Ford explains just in case you don’t understand what Track Mode is. “Even coming from Sport, control is significantly different. Dramatically so. In this mode, every aspect of the car is optimised for track use.” Ride height drops to 70mm and dampers and springs are put to their hardest setting. Two aero flaps on the front of the car are closed to get the most of the down force. The rear wing is automatically deployed when needed. The display changes to red; moves the speed to a smaller top position and highlight oil temperature and pressures in a more central position.
V-Max: Very maximum? Whatever it stands for it is hard-core fast as you can go setting! At the risk of American stereotypes it is how fast you can go in a straight line. Everything that can be altered is set up to minimise drag, to set launch control and rocket yourself to 216mph as quickly as you can. Guessing you need a drag strip or a runway for this little set up.
There is no doubt that the Ford GT is the most expensive, invested in, special and sophisticated car that Ford have ever produced. Whatever your outlook this is a special car.
