The News for December 9th, 2022

Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. This week: Ford unveils ultimate track only GT as its final version, Corvette E-Ray leaks early, Acura confirms a new Integra Type S for next summer, plus your news for the week.

Ford GT Mk IV

I can still remember where I was when the new Ford GT debuted at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The GT has always been my favorite car, so getting to see a new generation with a Le Mans program in my lifetime was a dream come true. I’ve had the chance to write about each new iteration that’s come out and I got to see it run its first and last laps in competition. This time around, it’ll (probably) be the last time I cover it. That’s because Ford Performance and Multimatic are calling the 2023 Ford GT Mk IV the final version – and of course, the most extreme.

It’s a track-only model which pays homage to the GT-40 Mk IV which famously won Le Mans in 1967 with an all-American effort. The biggest difference with the Mk IV was its elongated bodywork that made for a more aerodynamically efficient race car and a perfect fit for Le Mans. The same rings true for this new GT Mk IV as it features a lengthened wheelbase, extended carbon fiber “long tail” bodywork, and radical new aero elements all around. It even has turbofan wheels.

There are no series rules or BOP adjustments to worry about here – every ounce of performance that could be extracted from the Ford GT has been unleashed without limits. It’s pushing 800+ horsepower from a “unique” twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine, though they did not specify what exactly made it unique compared to other variants besides having a larger displacement. That’s connected to a racing transmission and the whole car rides on Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve suspension. Just 67 of these will be built with each starting at $1.7 million. Which for a hand-built track-only supercar with this sort of pedigree almost sounds… like a bargain?

“The original GT Mk IV held nothing back for max track performance, and the new Ford GT Mk IV brings it in the same way,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “With an even higher-level of motorsport engineering and performance, plus a completely new carbon fiber body that is functional and striking, the Mk IV is the ultimate sendoff of the third-generation supercar.”

An ultimate sendoff it is. For a car that was destined for the race track from the very beginning, there’s no better way to end its run with a version that’s best equipped for that mission. Farewell, GT.

[Source: Ford]

2024 Corvette E-Ray leaks

Electrification was inevitable for the C8 Corvette and was in fact confirmed earlier this year. But it getting leaked was not part of the plan, yet that’s exactly what happened last night. Corvette Blogger found the Corvette E-Ray on the configurator tool for the Corvette right there on Chevy’s website. It being on a configurator doesn’t mean we know all the details, but we can see quite a bit of it way before we were supposed to. “Looks like the holidays came early for a few astute Corvette fans”, said a Chevy spokesperson responding to Corvette Blogger.

The E-Ray name has been thrown around for a while. We weren’t sure if it would be for the all-electric model or a hybrid model, but that apparently is confirmed now by the existence of tailpipes. So a 6.2-liter V8 powering the rear wheels and at least one electric motor powering the front axle is the leading theory now. That would make this the first production AWD Corvette in history. Given the fact that they found this well before anyone was supposed to see it, who knows if these renderings are representative of the final product in any way. But if they are, we can see a unique front bumper design and some Z06 widebody design elements painted in body color.

There’s only so much we can gleam from screen shots of a configurator page, but at least we know what it will look like and that it’s certainly coming soon. I’d say early next year as auto show season picks up again. For more screen shots and analysis, check out Corvette Blogger’s coverage here.

2024 Acura Integra Type S confirmed

Acura has faced an uphill battle in getting the car enthusiast community to get excited over the new Integra. They’re hoping a Type S performance variant will help fix that and it’s coming next summer. The one paragraph press release has just enough details to know it’ll be a good time and plenty of development shots to go with it.

It will borrow the rowdy, high-revving 2.0-liter VTEC (yo) turbocharged four-cylinder engine with over 300 horsepower from the Honda Civic Type R as well as its six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. And they made a point to mention the manual will be the only transmission available for it. And even though it’s been photographed covered in camouflage, it’s easy to tell it will be a more grown up Civic Type-R. But Acura promises it will retain most if not all of the same performance and driver engagement. The photos show a more aggressive nose and lower front fascia, side sills, and rear bodywork complete with tri-tip exhaust.

I think it’s safe to say that this is what we all had in mind when Acura first announced a new Integra was coming last year. More details will arrive closer to its launch next summer.

[Source: Acura]

What’s your news for the week?

So that’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.

Have a good weekend.