When I say resale values your brain probably screams boring, but what if
we're not talking about a Honda Odyssey? What if we're talking about something
more interesting, for example this multi-generational trio
of four GTs. Are we going to use a discussion of Kelley Blue Book's resale
values as justification to drive super cars? Maybe, but I promise we'll all learn
something along the way. First though, let's talk about the cars. We've got a
2018 Ford GT, a 2005 GT and a Superformance GT40 Mark 1 replica, sorry
we couldn't find anyone to hand over the keys to an original GT40 for some reason.
For a speedy rundown of each let's tap someone knowledgeable Kelley Blue Book's
executive publisher Karl Brauer actually owns this car and is on the list to buy
one of these, so, yeah, he'll do just fine. This is a 2018 Ford GT.
This is the third generation GT. There will only be 1000 of these made over a
4-year period. I think one of the most distinctive parts of this car is what's
called the flying buttress. It actually allows for a large amount of air to pass
between the passenger cell and the outer fenders and then directed into the
mid-engine twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 that sits behind driver and passenger. That
engine makes 647 horsepower. It's capable of pushing this car up to 216 miles an hour.
What looks like integrated rear spoiler is actually deployable. They'll
do that in track mode instantly or in sport mode if you go above a certain
speed. It will also rotate near vertical to give you extra braking force when you hit
the brakes hard. This car was meant to beat Ferrari on the racetrack just like the
original GT40 of over 50 years ago. The mid-generation, the '05/'06 Ford GT, that
one was meant to beat Ferrari on the street. The car was benchmarked after the
Ferrari 360. First and foremost, it's a true GT Grand Tourer. I have driven one of
these from Los Angeles to Denver and back in one shot without stopping
anywhere except for fuel. They're three pedal cars that've got an actual
transmission that you have to shift yourself, no paddles no hydraulic
clutches. It's all you, and this one is powered by a 5.4-liter supercharged V8.
It makes 550 hp. You see a lot of similarity with the 60s Ford GT. It did
pay great homage. I can't imagine a greater beginning for a historic
automobile line like the Ford GT than the original GT40. This particular GT40
is not an original from the 60s. Ut was actually built recently by a company
called Superformance. Ninety plus percent of this car was mechanically swapped into
the old one. In fact, they were even able to continue the serial numbers from the
60s on these newer ones. So, if the flying buttress is the craziest part of the new
GT what's the craziest part of the old GT? It's got to be the door design. The
reason they did this is because they used to have what they called a LeMans
start. You actually started as a standing driver, and when they dropped the
checkered flag, you had to run across the street, jump up on the seat and then drop
down. This is the only car in the history of LeMans to win the race twice. The same
VIN number vehicle won LeMans two years in a row. No other car company has ever
done that. A car that looked just like this did it twice.
Clearly each of these GTs offers a unique form of badassery, but how does
that relate to this video's resale value premise? Well, when Karl bought his 2005
GT it cost around $150,000, now it's worth twice
that. If in the 1960s you'd had the forethought to nab an original Ford GT
for about $20,000, your car would now be worth millions, yes millions. If history
is our guide, any guesses on what might happen to prices for the half-million
dollar 2018 Ford GT In one fun example, celebrity wrestler/actor
John Cena allegedly sidesteps Ford's two-year resale restriction selling
his 2018 GT for a tidy profit. The exact price hasn't been revealed, but we've
heard rumors it's well north of $1,000,000.
The key takeaway is that unlike most cars, Ford GT resale values increase over
time. Even better, these are appreciating assets you can
drive. What's that like? Here's Kelley Blue Book's executive
editor Michael Harley in the 2018 GT. You know this thing feels fast, but there is
a much more visceral punch in the stomach from the big 'ole V8. This is the
turbocharged V6. It's a little bit of a delay, especially if you're in one of the
taller gears. The best way to get this thing to really punch you in the back is
drop it down to second or third, build up the boost, and then mash the throttle.
This is unquestionably faster than the other two, but initially, right behind the
wheel, on the street, it doesn't feel it. Let's try the old paddles. Dual clutch,
lightning-fast response, but I'm still not getting the ear-to-ear grin that
I get with a manual gearbox. One thing I've really noticed about the '18 is the
brake technology. The '18 GT is running the latest, which is carbon ceramic
brakes, which are virtually immune to heat buildup. If you step on the brakes
your instantaneous pedal response goes directly to those calipers. It stops on a
dime adding a ton of confidence. For me personally I'll actually give up a
couple hundred horsepower if I can get better brakes.
You jump in the GT40, or you jump in the '05 GT and there's a little bit of
suspension compliance, even a little bit of body flex. The '18
feels like it's carved out of a block of carbon fiber that was thrown on a CNC
machine and out came a Ford GT. There's zero body flex. There's zero body roll,
and I have it on one of the softer settings right now. I cannot imagine what
it would feel like in the track mode where this thing drops down on its hauches
and the fenders are literally rubbing on the tires themselves.
You know, everyone talks about these generation gaps and everybody initially
would think, wow, the technology gap really has to happen between that 60s
car and the '05 car, but that's the misconception. The real technology gap is
that 13-year span between the '05 and the '18 because then all of the sudden now we
have traction control, stability control that allow even the most inexperienced
driver to become bloody fast with very little skill. You drive the '05 you
drive the 60s car and it's a white-knuckle ride because you start to
get that car sideways and your brain is the only computer working to straighten
it out. It's a thrill it's an adrenaline rush, and it what's makes those cars more
excited to drive. If I was going to drive New York to LA and back I'd take the '05.
It might lack the sophistication of the 2018 but Karl's 2005 GT remains a
world-class supercar. This car weighs about 3,500 pounds. This particular one's
been modified. It makes 680 hp at the rear wheels, probably about 700 at
the crank. The hydraulic steering in this car is more intuitive than modern
electric assisted steering, and it absolutely adds to the experience. You've
got heel and toe capability with the three pedals. You've got the great shifter
here from the Ricardo transmission. Like most modern supercars, this one also has
four-wheel disc brakes. They will hold the car down with full confidence from
100-plus miles an hour. You put it together and you end up with this great
man machine interface. This car is still pretty old-school compared to some
modern supercars right? It doesn't have an active suspension. You get one setting
and one setting only. It doesn't have stability or traction control, in fact
the only thing that separates this car from a 1960s racer is ABS. It does have
anti-lock brakes, otherwise if you don't know how to drive the car there's no
electronic nanny to save you from crashing. I've got a lot of experience with this
car because I've had it for 13 years, and I've put 31,000 miles on it, and because
it was designed more as a road car more than a race car you end up with a
vehicle that's much and easier to drive in real conditions without feeling
compromised. For those purposes when you decide you want to go you go
the kind of noise that engine makes behind you it's raw by 2018 standards,
and just enough raw for someone like me. I love it.
The 2005 GT is unsullied by modern electronics, but the Superformance GT40
takes unvarnished high-performance driving to another level. First
impression is that the car smells like gasoline thanks to the carburetors, and
the straight pipe exhaust is loud especially when you press the throttle.
Lots of noise, lots of speed, 560 horsepower and a 2300 pound curb weight will do that
for you.
The transmission is a five-speed dogleg gearbox that means first gear is down and to the
left. The clutch is super heavy and finding third gear when you're in fourth
is a bit tricky, but for driver involvement, this little lever is very
involved. The technology in the Superformance GT40 Mark I is pretty
basic except for one detail, the speedometer. It's a GPS speedometer. Guess
what, it doesn't work. When it comes to adding technology to the old GT40 the GT40
says no thanks. As you'd expect the steering is completely unassisted but
the efforts aren't as heavy as you might imagine.Even if you're picking your way
through a parking lot, the reward for your extra a little bit of effort is the
level of detail about what the front tires are doing that you will not find
in a modern car. I challenge you to find a more communicative vehicle in the
modern context, doesn't happen.
In similar fashion, the brakes are completely mechanical. It takes a lot of
effort, but they are effective. When you drive a GT40 every day is leg day.
When you think of the concept of fun there's many kinds of fun.There's like
an evening at Chuck-E-Cheese and then there's like I survived the knife fight,
this leans a little towards the knife fight edge of the spectrum.
Unlike cars that are built today, where your mind can drift from the task at
hand, Superformance GT40 Mark I demands constant attention. If you like
driving, and I mean really like driving, this is the ultimate plaything.
Iinsanely fast and delightfully profitable, there are a few better
automotive investments than a Ford GT, but what if like me you don't have the
money or access to buy one, then Kelley Blue Book's five-year cost-to-own data
is a doubly important way to maximize your non-exotic car buying dollar. And
just to keep you engaged we're gonna toss in some random GT shots while we
educate. Let's say you love car A, but car B is a bit cheaper. Kelley Blue Book's
five-year cost-to-own incorporates a bunch of data including projected resale
values to estimate total expenditures over an average ownership period. Run
the numbers and the price of the car you prefer might be the cheaper choice
over time. Voila! Unassailable financial
justification to buy the thing you want. You're welcome.
On that note, for better or worse, humans have a knack for justifying our desires,
but that tendency is far less nefarious when supported by hard data in the
automotive realm. The most truly justifiable purchase is one that
services both your wallet and your soul, now which one does that
best?