Local collector claims only 2020 Ford GT on the African continent

When it comes to the world of exotic cars the second-generation Ford GT ranks highly.

First revealed in 2015 this rakish supercar instantly became the fastest and most advanced Ford ever produced and served as a sort of rolling test bed for new technologies and ideas for future vehicles across the Blue Oval's line-up. At its heart lies a twin-turbocharged 3.5l EcoBoost V6 motor tuned to muscle out a staggering 492kW and 746Nm worth of torque.

Mounted amidships and visible through a glass cover, this multi-cylinder engine allows the Ford GT to go from standstill to 100km/h in 3.0-seconds and reach a top speed of 350km/h. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

The pinnacle of Ford engineering and design, the Ford GT was built to emulate the success of the original Ford GT40, specifically at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 where the GT40 secured one of its most famous victories of all time with a 1-2-3 photo finish. Incredibly, and despite a very short development period, the latest Ford GT won Le Mans exactly half a century later, in 2016, cementing it as a motorsport legend in its own right.

Despite an exclusive production run (just 1,350 units planned from December 2016 to December 2022), one of these rare and sought-after supercars has found its way into the hands of an avid SA collector. The owner of Lazarus Ford in Centurion, Colin Lazarus already has an array of iconic Fords including a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 and 2001 F150 SVT Lightning. He's now the only person on the African continent to own a second-generation Ford GT, which joins his 1964 Ford GT40 MK1 and first-generation 2005 Ford GT.

“I was incredibly fortunate to be able to get this 2020 Ford GT into the country,” admits Lazarus. “But having the other two GTs proved how passionate and serious I was about these Fords and the bearing they have on Ford’s greatest motorsport achievements.”

Ordering a Ford GT is also a special occasion: a carbon fibre box contains a scale model of the car on which the various wheel designs, paint and other options can all be applied and interchanged. Once Lazarus decided on the final configuration for his Liquid Blue example, he built a customised Ford truck to help transport it safely between locations.

“Seeing everybody’s reaction to these three cars is terrific for the brand and illustrates the evolution of technology and performance. I doubt there is another private collection like it anywhere in the world,” concludes Lazarus.

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