Let's Talk Cars, Motorcycles and Other Life-Changing Events

Author: Karl Brauer Page 16 of 32

Just a car guy looking for his next automotive adventure.

2005 Ford GT versus 2016 Dodge Viper ACR

2005 Ford GT Dodge Viper ACR

One decade and two cylinders separate my Ford GT and this Dodge Viper ACR

The automotive journalist community is full of car guys, and many of them express their passion by buying special interest or enthusiast models. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, with my Ford GT representing the latest in a long line of performance cars I’ve purchased, starting with a 1969 Plymouth GTX before I had my driver’s license.

2005 Ford GT Dodge Viper ACR Alan Taylor

Alan Taylor and I met to swap keys and compare rides

One of my friends and colleagues, Alan Taylor, purchased a 2016 Dodge Viper ACR to express his passion for performance vehicles. Alan hosts “The Drive with Alan Taylor” and has been in the car business for over 30 years. After Alan purchased his Dodge Viper ACR we met to compare rides. Alan let me drive his Viper, and I was prepared to let him drive my Ford GT, but he politely declined. “I can’t relax when I drive other people’s cars.”

New Ford GT in White at Detroit Auto Show

2017 Ford GT White Detroit Auto Show Front

The new Ford GT appears in Frozen White at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show

Every time a new Ford GT debuts in a new color it causes a stir, and at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show the new Ford GT showed up wearing Frozen White for the first time. Generally speaking, white isn’t one of my preferred colors, but on certain cars it looks great. I always loved the white Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved me, and I love 1970-1973 Pontiac Firebirds in white. Of course as I noted before, superb vehicle design can make almost any color work, and the new Ford GT looks stunning in white.

New Ford GT in Yellow at CES

2017 Ford GT Yellow CES Front

A new Ford GT debuted a new color, Triple Yellow, at the 2016 CES in Las Vegas

When the new Ford GT was edging closer to production every Ford GT fan was waiting to see what color the car will show up in next. By January of 2016 we’d seen a GT in Liquid Blue (during its global debut in Detroit), Ingot Silver (at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show) and Matte Black (at the 9th annual Ford GT national owners rally). For the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas Ford showed up with a Triple Yellow new Ford GT wearing black stripes and black wheels.

Signature 7: A Camilo Pardo Ford GT

Ford GT Owners Rally 10 Signature 7

Signature 7 is the third in a line of Camilo Pardo-commissioned Ford GTs

I’ve already shown you one Camilo Pardo Signature Series Ford GT, Blue Moon, but at the time I promised more, so here I present Signature 7, the third in the line of Camilo Pardo-designed appearance and performance upgrades. This one was a collaboration between Camilo Pardo and The GT Guy, both of them working with owner Sam Bayer.

The Power of a Ford GT Homecoming

Ford GT Owners Rally 10 Midnight Blue

More than a few Midnight Blue and Heritage GTs attended the rally

Attending the 10th Annual Ford GT Owners Rally was a homecoming on many levels, not the least of which was having my car sitting in the parking lot of Ford’s World Headquarters. My apprehension about shipping it was offset by my desire to attend the rally with my car, plus get a full service from the GT Guys and a full color correction from Esoteric Detail (all of which required the car to visit the Detroit area). I figured all these driving forces were reason enough to bring it to Detroit.

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