2020 Ford GT

After shocking the automotive world with the surprise unveil of a new Ford GT a few years ago, the skunkworks-like engineers have not been content sitting idle. The 2020 Ford GT is a clear indicator that this half-million-dollar supercar has more to give.

With lessons learned from the track-only Mk II variant, the 2020 GT adds more energy to the ignition coils and revises piston cooling to deliver a broader torque band and increase output to 660 horsepower (up from 647 hp).

Ensuring that level of power is dependable, the GT gets new air ducting to increase airflow by 50%. Larger intercoolers take full advantage of the increase, providing cooler and denser intake air to the turbos. Handling also sees an update, with stiffer damper tunings in Track mode.

Also new for 2020 is a standard titanium exhaust by Akrapovic, a performance company commonly associated with race cars and motorcycles. In addition to our expectations that this new exhaust will sound delightfully raspy, it will shave 9 pounds off the GT's curb weight.

In more cosmetic news, the 2020 Ford GT gets a new Liquid Carbon appearance package. This is more than a few carbon-fiber doodads or a vinyl wrap, though. It forgoes paint in favor of exposed carbon-fiber body panels. You might think that this should result in a lower price since there's no paint, but in reality, it's much more difficult to make carbon fiber aesthetically pleasing. A mistake in composite layup means they'll have to start over. The Liquid Carbon model comes standard with carbon-fiber wheels, and shoppers can add titanium lugnuts, six-point seat harnesses and racing stripes to spice up the look.

The famed Gulf livery returns, with some slight revisions. A subtle black pinstripe has been added and the racing number has changed from nine to six, to match the Ford GT40 race car that won Le Mans in 1968 and 1969. Perfect timing with the recent release of the Ford vs. Ferrari movie.

With the release of the 760-horsepower Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the GT has taken a bit of a back seat as a halo vehicle for the brand. After all, you can get more power for less money right off a dealer lot. Then there's the mid-engine Corvette. And we can't imagine Ford enjoys a competitor dominating the conversation about mid-engine American sports cars.

Putting a more powerful, louder and visually striking GT on sale is one way to get people talking about the car again. But a fresh allocation of GTs has more implications than that.

If you follow the news, you'll know that the Ford GT's high desirability and limited production created a perfect storm for speculators. Ford tried to counteract this by requiring potential buyers to go through a whole application process, and then requiring buyers to sign contracts saying they wouldn't resell their GTs for two years. You might remember this from the Ford v. Professional-Wrestler-Turned-Actor John Cena lawsuit that's sure to be made into a movie soon (probably starring The Rock as John Cena).

GTs from the 2017 production run are starting to show up at auction, with one selling for $1.54 million. There's clearly demand, and more money to be made by Ford on the GT, especially with flashy, high-cost options like the naked carbon-fiber body. We can't help wondering what a fresh production run will do to the speculator market, but it doesn't seem like a coincidence that Ford is building more GTs just as the 2017 cars are drawing big bucks at the auction block.

At least until the new Corvette arrives this spring, the 2020 Ford GT is America's only mid-engine sports car. It's made for all-out performance and little else, representing the pinnacle of engineering prowess. Based on horsepower alone, however, it plays second fiddle to the ridiculous Ford Shelby GT500 and its 760 horses.

We recently put the Shelby GT500 up against a Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Chevy Camaro ZL1 in a three-way drag race, and we can tell you for certain that the Mustang offers plenty of excitement for a lot less money. In terms of price, the GT's cost is seven times that of the Shelby.

Price isn't the only difference. The GT tips the scales around 3,000 pounds, while the GT500 is closer to 4,200 pounds. That gives the GT a distinct advantage in handling and an even faster cited 0-60 mph time than the more powerful Mustang.

With a starting price of $500,000 for the GT, its competition is understandably scarce but epic nonetheless. This is European supercar territory, with the likes of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, Lamborghini Aventador and McLaren 720S. It's best to think of the GT as a street-legal race car and we love it for that reason.

Ford has made the already lust-worthy GT even more attractive. On the surface, the 2020 changes and additions may seem trivial, but in reality they're legitimate upgrades (minus the strictly cosmetic paint). Not that this car needed any help, but the latest revisions should maintain the GT's enviable position as an instant classic.