Inadequately researched article attempts to attack success of Ford GT

[FlorIdaho Chris]

For those that don't know, here is what a Peugeot 406 looks like. French car no less...

 

[2005FordGT]

Wow...Now THATS a super car!:lol

I'm sure this loser is going to get a ton of emails about his choices, especially the Ford GT.

 

[Indy GT]

Peugeot....

Thanks Chris. Driving that Peugeot, I now see his car assessment qualifications are impeccable!

 

[911teo]

Guys... let's lighten up a little bit. The GT.. the supercar that failed is only in the title... c'mon, read the article... basically he's being sarcastic about Clarkson's car and I am sure there are some personal issues with Jeremy and he's trying to get back at him.

The worst thing he could say abt the FGT is that Clarkson's car had problems with the (after market) alarm system...

"The Ford GT borrows very heavily from its predecessor’s look, which works fantastically, and it has a sweet mid-mounted 5.4 litre V8 which powers the car to 205mph. It also handles brilliantly." In my book these are not the words to describe a failed car.

His bad words are only for Clarkson....

BTW Clarkson himself still thinks the GT is a fantastic car. So he had some bad luck with Roush... but on his new video (the good, the bad and the ugly) he praises the GT as the ultimat weapon....

In this thread it looks like the ones with a little insecurity complex is us, the FGT owners...

 

[barondw]

I don't know. I think he got 8 or 9 of his correct. So he made a mistake big deal. He doesn't care because we are all talking about him.

Gee sounds like Donald Trump....no such thing as bad publicity

 

[SteveA]

Maybe we can find a package deal - you take those two and I'll take that crappy XJ220 and the Buggati. We'll need to fight for who has to take that POS FGT :rofl

FLChris, you have a XJ220?

 

[04mach1]

Clarkson has some issues with his security system and the car is a failure.

Do I sense a little bit of Euro envy?

There is no car in the world that can be so easily hp upgraded, from 550 to 650 to 750 to 1000. I'm sure that all of the English cars like, like, like, like ahh, ahh, ahh, well something, like well, I can't remember right now, but I'm sure I'll remember later that can match the GT.

Wait for a few months and the GT will beat the Veyron, and any other car in top speed and acceleration. I can go on, maybe later.

I know about the FGT mod wise. But Ive wondered how the SLR stacks up? The SLR has a 5.5 litre blown V8 so just barely bigger then the FGT engine. Has any one done a pulley swap on these? One would think that the car could have the same mods as the FGT for not a lot of money.

Thanks,
Nate

 

[dbk]

Who cares? High on my list of sources I care about "MSN UK News" is not :lol

Plus, that's kind of the modus operandi of British automotive journalism. Take anecdotal evidence, blow it wildly out of proportion and use all kinds of hyperbole, get people who could never buy anything you write about to read your column.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Regardless of the subject article above, can any of you recall even one UNFAVORABLE article(s) on the GT written by ANYBODY over the last couple years?
As I recall, the only thing even the "nitpickers" whined about was the fact that the GT had no "storage" ... and it's head whacker door! (But, everybody knew why the door was made that way & why it really shouldn't/couldn't have been done differently.)
The entire automotive press raved about the car in unison - including Clarkson!

 

[dbk]

I do recall the one unfavorable article where it was quoted Jay Leno was very unhappy with his car...which made him subsequently write in a letter saying that was completely untrue and it was the exact opposite. :lol

Close though.

 

[Empty Pockets]

I do recall the one unfavorable article where it was quoted Jay Leno was very unhappy with his car...which made him subsequently write in a letter saying that was completely untrue and it was the exact opposite. :lol

Close though.

Ya. I believe he's said on more than one occasion that he thinks the GT is hands down, "the best looking supercar out there", and that it easily runs with cars costing twice as much or more. 'Hardly a "condemnation" I would think.:shrug

 

[HHGT]

The Brits have always been angered when the US took a great UK product and made it better, In this case TWICE. :lol

First the GT40 and now the GT44:biggrin

 

[ladams1]

Failed supercar

The gentleman must be British. The not starting I think was mostly in Britian becasue of the UK goverments mandated security system. The 5th Gear car show guy Jeremy Clarkson has horrible problems with his. Ford had never planned to export to Britian.

My 2005 FGT has been perfect. I own several supercars as do many of my freinds and the FGT is a supercar among supercars in my view. It is an awesome car and ford should be proud of their accomplishment.

I love smoking my Ferrari & Lambo freinds.

Just my point of view.

Lee

 

[Kingveloce]

MSN - more silly news?

I have just sent this e-mail to Tom Evans. I don't expect a reply!

Dear Mr Evans

To call the Ford GT a failed supercar on the grounds that Jeremy Clarkson's went wrong is probably libellous. For your own information, the vast majority of Jeremy's problems with his car were self inflicted: if you fail to take the Tracker card with you on a journey in the car, of course Tracker is going to assume the car has been stolen; if you don't use the car for weeks without trickle charging the battery, of course you are going to have problems trying to start it; if you try to drive a car that wide through a tiny London width restriction, of course you are going to cause a traffic jam.

The only complaint Jeremy can justifiably make concerns the alarm. His car (he only ever had one, not two by the way) was the first one in the UK and was the first to be fitted with sat nav. An alarm sensor was fitted too close to the sat nav equipment, the heat soak from which triggered the system. Once this was realised the sensor was moved and the problem sorted. In other words it was an aftermarket problem, not a Ford one.

Concerning the 'mass recall' of the GT for suspension problems, this affected only the very first few cars (and none of the cars that came to Europe) and was a precautionary recall as no accidents were ever caused by the issue.

In just over two years, Ford made more than 4,000 examples of the car and sold every one. The vast majority of owners are so pleased with their cars that very few ever come on the second hand market... little wonder that values are still as high or higher than when the car was new. Failed supercar? I think not.

Please send my regards to Ford's lawyers when they get in touch.

 

[SteveA]

Yeah! What He Said!

 

[ENZO BTR]

Funny. The BMW Z8 is one of the few cars I continue to lust after, even with a FGT in my garage. The fact that he puts both on his list is pretty comical. :bs

Maybe his article will have an effect on the Z8 market. I can always hope...

 

[Neilda]

The Brits have always been angered when the US took a great UK product and made it better, In this case TWICE. :lol

First the GT40 and now the GT44:biggrin

We Brits have invented many things only to see them enhanced elsewhere.

Cricket would be a fine example - Rugby too! :lol

We don't do too badly with a population that's 85% less than the USA... :wink

 

[HHGT]

We Brits have invented many things only to see them enhanced elsewhere.

Cricket would be a fine example - Rugby too! :lol

We don't do too badly with a population that's 85% less than the USA... :wink

Hi Neilda, I was just trying to be funny - no offense intended. I have my GCE "O" & "A" levels and I always brag positively about the english educational system, even though I love Irish Beers:cheers

 

[Dr Robert Harms]

He is entiteled to his opinion ----- you do not need have cancer to be an expert on the subject.

I read the article twice and I did not see any reference to Leno and Ford GT's--did I miss it ?

He is guilty , however of the classic statsitical flaw of the "N of 1 Arguement". One car or one anything did whatever so all are that way.

The stupidest part of the daitribe is the selection of what he considers to be within the universe of "supercars". Tough to call a Pantera a super car...or a Facel ( had one) . XJ 220 sure. Also note that his sample frame is over 50 years (1956 Facel HK500 to Ford GT).

BTW--what is "failure" ? other experts opining ? sales ? Last time I checked Ferrari sold scads of TR's, Pantera sold very well and only stopped because of the 1975 emissions rules. If dismal sales count for anything I guess the XKSS or the Montiverdi Hai 450SS or the Bizarrini Strada (all total hard ons and true supercars of their eras ) would be "failed".

 

[analogdesigner]

smok'in crack

I have just sent this e-mail to Tom Evans. I don't expect a reply!

Dear Mr Evans

To call the Ford GT a failed supercar on the grounds that Jeremy Clarkson's went wrong is probably libellous. For your own information, the vast majority of Jeremy's problems with his car were self inflicted: if you fail to take the Tracker card with you on a journey in the car, of course Tracker is going to assume the car has been stolen; if you don't use the car for weeks without trickle charging the battery, of course you are going to have problems trying to start it; if you try to drive a car that wide through a tiny London width restriction, of course you are going to cause a traffic jam.

The only complaint Jeremy can justifiably make concerns the alarm. His car (he only ever had one, not two by the way) was the first one in the UK and was the first to be fitted with sat nav. An alarm sensor was fitted too close to the sat nav equipment, the heat soak from which triggered the system. Once this was realised the sensor was moved and the problem sorted. In other words it was an aftermarket problem, not a Ford one.

Concerning the 'mass recall' of the GT for suspension problems, this affected only the very first few cars (and none of the cars that came to Europe) and was a precautionary recall as no accidents were ever caused by the issue.

In just over two years, Ford made more than 4,000 examples of the car and sold every one. The vast majority of owners are so pleased with their cars that very few ever come on the second hand market... little wonder that values are still as high or higher than when the car was new. Failed supercar? I think not.

Please send my regards to Ford's lawyers when they get in touch.

Agreed.

This just proves that people are smokin' crack in all countries! :lol