Fitted with an extended range of carbon-fiber parts as standard, including wheels, the Carbon Series is nearly 40 pounds lighter than the regular GT. It also features extra carbon inside the cabin, as well as customized seats and a dashboard badge. Is it more powerful? No, but the fact that it’s lighter makes it a more nimble car on the race track. The second-generation Ford GT was launched for the 2017 model year as a revival of the limited-edition supercar that the Blue Oval first produced between 2004 and 2006. The modern GT is also a tribute to the original GT40 from the 1960s and marked Ford’s return to endurance racing. Following a handful of special-edition model, Ford created the Carbon Series, a lightweight version of the standard GT. What makes the Ford GT Carbon Series special Carbon-fiber pillars Carbon side skirts Carbon-fiber stripes New accent colors Carbon-fiber wheels Polycarbonate engine hood New seat upholstery Unique dashboard badge Seat cupholder delete Titanium exhaust system The Carbon Series looks identical to the regular Ford GT as far as features and body panels go but stands out by means of extra elements finished in bare carbon-fiber and new accent colors. If you're a fan of exposed carbon-fiber, you'll spot it on the A-pillars and the lower body panels, including the side skirts, the splitter, and the rear diffuser. The wheels are also made from carbon fiber, while the lugnuts are made from titanium, yet another lightweight material. Even the dual stripes that run across the length of the car over the front hood, roof, rear deck, and wing have a carbon-fiber finish. Combined with the accent stripe, they really make the GT stand out. Speaking of accent stripes, they’re part of a new, optional accent package that also includes accent mirror caps and matching calipers. You can order them in silver, orange, red, or blue. Finally, Ford replaced the original engine cover with a polycarbonate unit. Not only lighter than usual, it also has additional venting on each side of the window, just like a race car. The carbon-fiber festival continues inside the cabin, where you can find the lightweight composite on the door sills, the center console, and the area beneath and in front of the instrument cluster. Ford also changed the seat upholstery to a new pattern with silver stitching that extends on the headrests. There’s matching stitching on the sports steering wheel and anodized paddle shifters with a similar appearance. The unique badge on the dashboard rounds off the visuals. Beyond this, Ford removed the cup holders on the driver’s side seat storage bin to save weight. However, unlike the GT Competition Series model, the Carbon Series retains the radio, SYNC 3 infotainment system, and the air conditioning system. It may seem a bit weird to keep this features given the efforts made to save weight with carbon-fiber, but Ford says it wants to give customers the opportunity to drive their cars to and from the race track in comfort. Under the hood, the Carbon Series remains a standard GT save of the lighter exhaust system made from titanium. Oomph comes from the same twin-turbo, 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The race-derived unit cranks out a whopping 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet and screams like crazy for 2.8 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standing start. The GT hits a top speed of 216 mph, on par with most modern supercars. Ford didn’t say how many Carbon Series models it plans to produce. but mentioned that it can build one per week. This means production will be limited to around 50 units per year. No pricing information yet, but expect it to cost well in excess of $500,000. The regular GT starts from around $450,000. Further reading Read our full review on the 2017 Ford GT. Read our full review on the 2005 - 2006 Ford GT. Read our full review on the 1964 - 1969 Ford GT40.<doc-sep>Ford is celebrating its announcement of continuing production of its supercar by another 350 units with this, the 2019 Ford GT Carbon Series, which drops some weight, adds some carbony visual flair, but doesn’t go quite as hardcore as the spartan GT Competition model. Advertisement Where the Ford GT Competition shaved weight by dropping just about everything considered a luxury on the car, the new Carbon Series will lose the cupholders and a driver’s side cargo bin but keep the radio, SYNC infotainment system and, most importantly, the air conditioning. While that may seem like a silly compromise for something claiming to be a lightweight model, the new Carbon Series still loses 40 pounds over the standard car, making it the lightest Ford GT you can get. Other light-ifying bits include carbon fiber wheels, titanium lugnuts and a titanium exhaust, and a polycarbonate rear hatch door with more venting to remove some extra material. There’s also more carbon fiber littered throughout the body than any previous GT special edition, with the carbon fiber exposed more on the A-pillars and rocker panels. The two strips running down the middle of the car are also exposed carbon fiber, and buyers have the choice of silver, blue, orange or red accent colors for the middle stripe, door mirrors, and bespoke interior accents. Advertisement Ford didn’t release any updated performance specs for its GT on a humble diet, nor a price, but I imagine this car is more about feeling faster and more exciting because you have your thermos in your lap instead of the cupholders you likely paid more not to have. It also claims it can only build one of these special editions a week, and you still have to go through its application process, so good luck.<doc-sep>What's New: Ford calls the GT Carbon Series the lightest of the road-legal GTs, eliminating almost 40 pounds from its original form. Many have called the GT something of a porker with a dry weight of 3,054 pounds, making any weight elimination crucial, but this isn't just any weight the Carbon Series sheds: It's mostly unsprung weight. Lightweight rotating mass pays dividends when it comes to performance, as it improves acceleration, braking, cornering, and efficiency by far greater margins than can be achieved with lightweight bodywork. Carbon fiber wheels and titanium lug nuts make up much of the weight reduction, though a vented polycarbonate hatch contributes, as does a titanium exhaust. The Carbon Series also loses cupholders and the driver's side storage bin, but it keeps the radio and air conditioning so drivers can enjoy the GT Carbon Series' interior, adorned in more bare carbon fiber than any other model.<doc-sep>After a bumpy start for the second-generation Ford GT, production at the Ontario, Canada, plant has finally steadied to the originally planned one-car-a-day rate. This parlayed into the recent announcement that production will extend through 2022 (from 2020) to accommodate 350 more orders (from 1,000). The Blue Oval, it seems, has found its supercar-building groove. Adding to that ambition is today’s SEMA Show unveiling of the new 2019 Ford GT Carbon Series. Of course, referring to carbon fiber, which is more visibly utilized throughout the vehicle than in any other GT, including the wheels, this specialer-edition car weighs 40 pounds less than the already special GT. This subsequently dethrones the Competition Series for the title of lightest Ford GT in the current lineup. Other lightweight innovations include the use of titanium for the exhaust and lug nuts as well as polycarbonate for the engine cover and rear hatch. Additionally, Ford ditched conveniences like cupholders and a driver’s side seat storage bin. The Ford GT Carbon Series is not intended to be a track-only car, however, as creature comforts such as air conditioning, a radio, and the Sync 3 infotainment system remain to make this latest special-edition GT a livable everyday commuter. “The Ford GT Carbon Series stands out on the road with its striking carbon fiber-rich design and on the track with its athleticism,” says Hermann Salenbauch, global director, Ford Performance. “It is yet another example of how we can bring to life our Le Mans-winning supercar in new and exciting ways so our customers can share in that magical legacy.” Gallery: 2019 Ford GT Carbon Series 18 Photos Adds Lance Mosely, marketing manager, Ford Performance: “This is just another example of how we listen to our customers at Ford. While the Ford GT Competition model appeals to hardcore racing enthusiasts, we found more customers asking for more exposed carbon fiber with the air conditioning and radio still intact. So, we developed the Carbon Series to satisfy that need, while providing a distinct look.” The Ford GT Carbon Series will feature a unique badge for the instrument cluster, clear anodized paddle shifters, and an exclusive seat pattern with silver stitching that also continues into the steering wheel design. The GT Carbon Series will account for one of the seven GTs Ford will build each week going forward. It’s available to order now for pre-approved customers but will also be available to new customers in select global markets, including the U.S., when the application process reopens on November 8.<doc-sep>
It's hard to imagine you'd find the regular Ford GT to lack performance, but for those customers who do want some extra punch, there's now the Carbon Series. The limited-edition version of the car drops 39 pounds off the GT's curb weight. It follows up the earlier Gulf Heritage special edition. Ford The weight-loss regime doesn't go quite as far as the GT Competition Series. Where that's a car that a track-day nut might tow to a favorite circuit, the Carbon Series is meant for people who drive their GT to and from the track. That's mainly because the Carbon Series retains the GT's radio and air conditioning, both of which are eliminated in the Competition. Instead, the Carbon Series equips your Ford GT with carbon-fiber wheels, titanium lug nuts and a titanium exhaust as standard. Those parts were already available as options, but the Carbon Series bundles them into one package. The rear hatch is also different, using a polycarbonate material and featuring more venting for the engine. Moreover, Ford says that engineers removed the GT's cupholders and the driver's-side storage bin to reduce weight. Carbon Series cars come with an unpainted center strip that shows off the carbon-fiber weave beneath a protective glossy layer. An optional accent package (silver, red, orange or blue) draws a thin stripe down the middle of that stripe, with matching accent-colored exterior mirrors. Inside the cabin, look for special Carbon Series badges and various red accents. Overall, Ford says the Carbon Series has more exposed carbon fiber than any other version of the GT. Of course, Ford won't say how much someone would pay to equip a GT with the Carbon Series, but with the standard supercar starting at nearly half a million bucks before options, we doubt it's a cheap option. By the way, the 2016-2020 production run of the Ford GT is already sold out, so you may be wondering how a buyer would get this 2019 special-edition version. Well, even though the cars are "sold," buyers don't elect their car's options until Ford is almost ready to produce that specific GT. In other words, if you're on the lucky 1,000-person (and soon to be 1,350-person) list, there's still time to go for the Carbon Series.