Ford GT: which version to buy and why
If you are choosing a Ford GT rather than reading a catalogue overview, the split is simple. The second generation (from 2016, still listed with no end date) is one version: 3.5 Powershift, 655 hp, 3.4 s to 100 km/h, 354 km/h, 1385 kg. The first generation (2005–2006) is two versions that share the name 5.4 MT and must be told apart by power: 5.4 MT 557 hp and 5.4 MT 507 hp.
If you are choosing a Ford GT rather than reading a catalogue overview, the split is simple. The second generation (from 2016, still listed with no end date) is one version: 3.5 Powershift, 655 hp, 3.4 s to 100 km/h, 354 km/h, 1385 kg. The first generation (2005–2006) is two versions that share the name 5.4 MT and must be told apart by power: 5.4 MT 557 hp and 5.4 MT 507 hp. All three are Coupe, Gasoline, RWD. What changes is litres, cylinders, boost, gearbox, weight, and how much performance those differences actually buy.
Ford GT specs by generation: what actually changed
Second generation, from 2016, Coupe, one version. First generation, 2005–2006, Coupe, two versions. Restyling is not a separate generation here; there are two generations and three engines.
Generation 2 drops displacement from 5408–5409 cm³ to 3500 cm³ (−1908 to −1909 cm³), cylinders from 8 to 6, and kerb weight from 1450–1580 kg to 1385 kg. Power goes the other way: 655 hp versus 557 hp (+98 hp) and 507 hp (+148 hp). Peak torque rises from 678 Nm on both first-generation 5.4 MT cars to 745 Nm on 3.5 Powershift (+67 Nm). Gearbox type changes from Manual 6 to Robotic 7. Boost on the current car is Turbo; the 557 hp 5.4 MT is also Turbo, while the 507 hp 5.4 MT is Compressor.
That is the buying fork: mid-engine 3.5-litre six with a robot, or front-longitudinal 5.4-litre eight with a stick (engine location on the 507 hp car is not measured).
Ford GT engine options: three versions, two names
Use the names exactly as listed. Two cars are both 5.4 MT; the 50 hp gap is the identifier.
| Version | hp | kW | Nm | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Powershift (gen. 2, 2016–) | 655 | 482 | 745 | 3500 | 98 | 6 | V-shaped | Turbo | Robotic 7 | RWD |
| 5.4 MT 557 hp (gen. 1, 2005–2006) | 557 | 410 | 678 | 5408 | 92 | 8 | V-shaped | Turbo | Manual 6 | RWD |
| 5.4 MT 507 hp (gen. 1, 2005–2006) | 507 | 373 | 678 | 5409 | 92 | 8 | V-shaped | Compressor | Manual 6 | RWD |
3.5 Powershift specific output: 655 / 3.5 = 187.1 hp per litre. 5.4 MT 557 hp: 557 / 5.408 ≈ 103.0 hp per litre. 5.4 MT 507 hp: 507 / 5.409 ≈ 93.7 hp per litre. The later engine makes about 84 hp per litre more than the stronger first-generation V-shaped 8, and about 93 hp per litre more than the compressor 8, on 1908–1909 cm³ less displacement.
Injection follows the same split: Direct injection (direct) on 3.5 Powershift; Distributed injection (multi-point) on both 5.4 MT. Valves per cylinder are 4 on all three. Compression ratio on both 5.4 MT cars is 8.4; bore and stroke 90.2 × 105.8. Compression and bore/stroke on 3.5 Powershift are not measured. Engine location: Central on 3.5 Powershift; Front, longitudinal on 5.4 MT 557 hp; not measured on 5.4 MT 507 hp.
Fuel grade is 98 on the second generation and 92 on both first-generation cars. That is a running-cost difference you can read from the table even without a price.
Power peaks, where measured: 5.4 MT 557 hp at 6500 rpm, torque 678 Nm at 3750 rpm; 5.4 MT 507 hp at 6000 rpm, same 678 Nm at 4500 rpm. The compressor car needs 750 extra rpm to make the same torque and still trails by 50 hp. Rpm figures for 3.5 Powershift are not measured.
Ford GT horsepower and torque versus weight
Kerb-weight-to-power is the cleanest “which one to buy” number in this set.
- 3.5 Powershift: 1385 kg / 655 hp = 2.11 kg per hp
- 5.4 MT 557 hp: 1580 kg / 557 hp = 2.84 kg per hp
- 5.4 MT 507 hp: 1450 kg / 507 hp = 2.86 kg per hp
The two first-generation cars sit within 0.02 kg/hp of each other. The 557 hp 5.4 MT is 130 kg heavier than the 507 hp 5.4 MT (1580 − 1450) and uses that mass for +50 hp and no extra torque (both 678 Nm). The second-generation car is 195 kg lighter than the 557 hp 5.4 MT and 65 kg lighter than the 507 hp 5.4 MT, with more power than either.
Gross weight is measured only on 5.4 MT 557 hp: 1769 kg (payload 1769 − 1580 = 189 kg). Gross weight on 3.5 Powershift and on 5.4 MT 507 hp is not measured.
Ford GT performance: 0–100 and top speed
- 3.5 Powershift: 3.4 s, 354 km/h
- 5.4 MT 557 hp: 3.6 s, 330 km/h
- 5.4 MT 507 hp: 3.8 s, 322 km/h
Generation 2 is 0.2 s quicker to 100 km/h than the 557 hp 5.4 MT and 0.4 s quicker than the 507 hp 5.4 MT. Top speed is 24 km/h higher than the 557 hp car and 32 km/h higher than the 507 hp car. Inside generation 1, choosing 557 hp over 507 hp buys 0.2 s and 8 km/h.
Those gaps match the weight-to-power order, not displacement. The smaller 3500 cm³ engine is the fastest car here.
Fuel consumption, tank, mpg
Only 5.4 MT 557 hp has measured consumption: 18.1 L/100 km city, 11.2 highway, 14.7 mixed, 66 L tank. City-to-highway spread is 6.9 L/100 km. Mixed figure 14.7 L/100 km on a 66 L tank is a calculated range of about 449 km if you could hold the mixed number (66 / 14.7 × 100). That is arithmetic on measured values, not a catalogue range claim.
City, highway, and mixed consumption on 3.5 Powershift are not measured. The same three figures on 5.4 MT 507 hp are not measured. Tank volume on 3.5 Powershift is not measured; on 5.4 MT 507 hp it is 66 L, same as the 557 hp car. CO2 and eco class are not measured on all three versions.
If fuel use is a buying filter, only the 557 hp 5.4 MT gives you numbers. The other two are not “more economical” or “less” in this dataset; they are not measured.
Dimensions, ground clearance, wheels, chassis
Ground clearance: 3.5 Powershift 119 mm; both 5.4 MT cars 127 mm. Generation 2 sits 8 mm lower.
Wheels:
- 3.5 Powershift: 245/35 R20 and 325/30 R20
- 5.4 MT 557 hp: 235/45 R18 and 285/45 R19
- 5.4 MT 507 hp: 235/45 R18 and 315/40 R19
Front rubber is the same 235/45 R18 on both first-generation cars; the 557 hp car uses a 285/45 R19 rear, the 507 hp car a 315/40 R19 rear. Generation 2 moves to 20-inch sizes with a 80 mm wider rear listed size (325 versus 245 front).
Suspension is Independent, spring front and rear on all three. Brakes: Ceramic ventilated front and rear on 3.5 Powershift; Ventilated disc front and Disc ventilated rear on both 5.4 MT (rear label as given).
Which Ford GT version to choose
Buy 3.5 Powershift if the goal is the strongest numbers in this catalogue. It is the only second-generation car: 655 hp, 745 Nm, 3.4 s, 354 km/h, 1385 kg, 2.11 kg/hp, 187.1 hp/L, Robotic 7, Central 6-cylinder Turbo, fuel 98, Ceramic ventilated brakes, 20-inch wheels, 119 mm clearance. Versus the 557 hp 5.4 MT you gain 98 hp, 67 Nm, 0.2 s, 24 km/h, and lose 195 kg. Versus the 507 hp 5.4 MT you gain 148 hp, 67 Nm, 0.4 s, 32 km/h, and lose 65 kg. You give up a measured Manual 6, a measured V-shaped 8, measured consumption, a measured 66 L tank, and 8 mm of clearance. Fuel use, tank, gross weight, compression, bore/stroke, and power rpm are not measured on this version.
Buy 5.4 MT 557 hp if you want the faster of the two first-generation cars and a full measured sheet. It is 50 hp above the other 5.4 MT, same 678 Nm, 0.2 s and 8 km/h ahead, Turbo instead of Compressor, torque peak 750 rpm earlier (3750 versus 4500). Cost of that step: 130 kg extra kerb weight (1580 versus 1450) and a narrower rear tyre listing (285/45 R19 versus 315/40 R19). Weight-to-power is almost identical (2.84 versus 2.86 kg/hp), so the 50 hp is largely absorbed by the extra mass; the 0.2 s / 8 km/h still show on the stopwatch. This is the only version with city/highway/mixed consumption, the only one with measured gross weight (1769 kg), and it has Front, longitudinal location, 5408 cm³, fuel 92, Manual 6, RWD.
Buy 5.4 MT 507 hp if you want the lightest first-generation Ford GT and Compressor boost. At 1450 kg it is 130 kg below the 557 hp twin and only 65 kg above 3.5 Powershift, with the widest first-generation rear tyre (315/40 R19). You pay 50 hp, 0.2 s, and 8 km/h versus the other 5.4 MT, and 148 hp / 0.4 s / 32 km/h versus generation 2. Torque matches the 557 hp car at 678 Nm but arrives 750 rpm later. Engine location is not measured; consumption is not measured; gross weight is not measured. Tank is 66 L, clearance 127 mm, fuel 92, Manual 6, 5409 cm³ (1 cm³ above the 557 hp listing).
Do not treat the two 5.4 MT cars as the same modification. Same name, same years (2005–2006), same Coupe, same 678 Nm, same 8.4 compression, same 90.2 × 105.8 bore and stroke, same 6-speed Manual, same RWD, same 127 mm, same Independent, spring suspension. They differ by 50 hp, 1 cm³, Turbo versus Compressor, 130 kg, 0.2 s, 8 km/h, rear tyre, and which fields are measured.
There is no Ford GT price, no for-sale listing, and no 2024–2026 horsepower figure in this dataset. Choice is between three measured cars: one 3500 cm³ Robotic Turbo six from 2016 on, and two 5.4-litre Manual eights from 2005–2006 distinguished as 5.4 MT 557 hp and 5.4 MT 507 hp.