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• The 2006 Ford GT shown here has a current bid of $497,777 on the Bring a Trailer auction website.• The car shows 15,000 miles on its odometer. • Bidding ends Monday, March 21. Ford made quite a stir with the current second-generation of its GT supercar, which is now in its final year of production after being developed in secret for its 2017 model-year debut. Along with generally wowing the automotive masses with its distinctive flying-buttressed rear fenders, it won its class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race on the golden anniversary of Ford’s first overall victory in 1966. But as tributes to Ford’s original GT40 go, the first-gen GT that launched for 2005 remains just as striking and arguably even more iconic. It is with that in mind that we highlight this 2006 Ford GT as our Pick of the Day on the Bring a Trailer auction website—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

Bring a Trailer

Ford’s first GT earned its share of accolades over the course of its life cycle. We called it “a skillful reincarnation of a classic sports racer” in a 2005 comparison test. Impressively well-mannered for a mid-engine beast, its 550-hp supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 could launch it to 60 mph in a little over three seconds. The GT’s low-slung bodywork—including door cutouts in the roof and a nearly horizontal rear window—remains effortlessly cool, and its visceral appeal is bolstered by a standard six-speed stick and a spinning blower right behind your head.

Bring a Trailer

Compared to today’s carbon-fiber-intensive GT and its escaped-racecar levels of refinement, this mostly aluminum-constructed version from earlier in the century is more livable day-to-day yet still drops jaws like an exotic car should. This particular example was built towards the end of the first GT’s two-year production run and wears the $13,000 Heritage Edition getup, its light-blue-and-orange paint harking back to the Gulf Oil liveries worn by the GT40 racers of the 1960s. Inside the black leather-trimmed cabin you’ll find toggle switch controls, a tilting and telescoping steering column, and carbon-fiber-shelled sport seats. Factory options include a McIntosh audio system upgrade and forged BBS wheels measuring 18 inches in front and 19 inches in back, though we’ll argue those rollers should be finished in orange to complete the retro-racer look. While originally registered in New York, this car found its way to California and Nevada, and currently is for sale in Arkansas with a clean Carfax report, a California title, and an indicated 15,000 miles on its odometer.

Bring a Trailer

Underscoring the GT’s attraction, the current bid on its Bring a Trailer page is $497,777—more than three times its $150,000 base price in 2006 and close to what the newer GT costs in its standard trim. With three days left in the auction, we wouldn’t be surprised if the original GT’s heritage pushes that figure even higher.

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There are moments each of us will cherish for a lifetime. Why not accumulate one more by watching this week’s episode of Window Shopping on YouTube? It won’t change your life in a magical way, or any other way, really. But with some luck you’ll enjoy a few minutes of automotive goofball conversation.This week’s challenge? Find an example of a vehicle that got much, much, much better with the introduction of a new generation. That is, something that was garbage but suddenly got good when the nameplate was pried off and applied to a new vehicle. For instance, the original Toyota Celica Supra was kind of a dopey nose extension of the Celica to accommodate a six-cylinder engine that was then finished off with tufted velour upholstery. But the second-generation Supra, introduced as a 1982 model, was a 10Best winner and instantly beloved.And the Supra is not mentioned in this episode. Go figure. So watch this episode to find out what vehicles did pound through our thickening skulls.Join Carlos Lago as “Sam Malone,” Tony Quiroga as “Coach,” K.C. Colwell as “Frasier,” Jonathon Ramsey as “Norm,” and, of course, John Pearley Huffman as “Cliff.” Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? After all, this is where everybody knows your name. Assuming you’re a subscriber and we can pull that out of the computer.

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Mansory, the German tuner known for its extreme modifications, has turned its attention to the Ferrari Roma.Mansory’s take on the Roma includes lots of carbon fiber, a low-profile rear wing, and a large diffuser.Horsepower is increased to 710 and torque is up to 640 pound-feet, yielding a slightly quicker sprint to 62 mph and an extra 7 mph of top speed, up to a claimed 206 mph.German tuner Mansory is not known for subtlety, and while the tricked-out Ferrari Roma seen here may look extreme compared to the stock sports car that rolls off the production line in Maranello, it’s actually fairly discreet by Mansory standards. Mansory’s “complete conversion” for the Roma is the company’s latest creation, following three modified Ferraris unveiled last year: the 812 GTS, F8XX, and Portofino.

Mansory

Mansory’s Roma gets carbon fiber galore. The hood is made entirely of the lightweight material, with a black boomerang-shaped piece reminiscent of the carbon blade on the hood of the Ferrari 812 Competizione. Mansory has also ditched the Roma’s body-color egg-crate grille for black mesh. The body is festooned with carbon-fiber trim pieces on the front bumper, fenders, and side skirts, while the rear features a relatively mild carbon wing and a protruding diffuser. The interior is draped in red and black leather.

Mansory

Mansory

Mansory hasn’t only covered the Roma in carbon-fiber doodads, however. Under the hood, the turbocharged 3.9-liter V-8 has nearly 100 more horsepower than the stock Ferrari at 710 hp, with torque up to about 640 pound-feet from 561. Mansory claims that these engine modifications increase the top speed by 7 mph to 206 mph, with the zero-to-62-mph sprint taking 3.1 seconds, making it slightly quicker than before. The Roma starts at $222,620 from Ferrari, but the tuner didn’t release pricing for its modified version.
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Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told media at a roundtable interview on Thursday that when the hybridized 911 arrives, it will not be a plug-in hybrid.Blume called it a “sporty hybrid” and said it takes inspiration from the Le Mans–winning 919 Hybrid race car.Blume also reaffirmed that the 718 will be electrified while maintaining its mid-engine proportions.Porsche has been mulling a hybridized 911 for a long time. Back in 2017, when the current 992 generation was still under development, Porsche was going back and forth on whether it wanted to sell a 911 hybrid and what form that hybrid would take. Three model years into the 992’s production run, the hybrid model has yet to appear, but at a roundtable interview yesterday, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed its existence and dropped a few hints about what we can expect from a 911 hybrid.

Previous reports had suggested that the electrified 911 would arrive as a plug-in hybrid, but at the roundtable Blume explicitly said that the 911 will not be plug-in, with that duty left to the Cayenne SUV and Panamera models. Instead, he described the 911 as a “sporty hybrid” and even said it was inspired by the 919 Hybrid, an endurance race car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015, 2016, and 2017. When asked whether the 911 GT models, such as the GT3, would receive hybridization in the future, Blume simply responded that we should expect “surprises” from the 911 down the line. At the roundtable, Blume also reaffirmed that the smaller 718 lineup will spawn an all-electric model in 2025, which will retain the classic mid-engined roadster dimensions. The Macan EV that will arrive for the U.S. in 2024 was confirmed again, and Porsche also reiterated its ongoing development of synthetic fuels. The automaker said it is aiming for 80 percent of its sales to be fully electric by 2030, with synthetic fuel helping bridge the remaining gap.
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