EXTREME MACHINES MILLION DOLLAR MOTORS ~ PART3

The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.The Ford GT began as a concept car designed in anticipation of the automaker's centennial year and as part of its drive to showcase and revive its "heritage" names such as Mustang and Thunderbird. At the 1995Detroit Auto Show, the Ford GT90 concept was shown. At the 2002 auto show, Ford unveiled a new GT40 Concept car. Camilo Pardo, the head of Ford's "Living Legends" studio, is credited as the chief designer of the GT and worked under the guidance of J Mays. It should be noted that Carroll Shelby was brought in by Ford to help develop the Ford GT; which included performance testing of the prototype car. The GT is similar in outward appearance to the original Ford GT40 cars, but bigger, wider, and 3 in (76 mm) taller than the original 40 in (100 cm); as a result, a potential name for the car was the GT43. Although the cars are visually related, structurally, there is no similarity between the modern GT and the 1960s GT40 that inspired it. Three production prototype cars were shown in 2003 as part of Ford's centenary, and delivery of the production Ford GT began in the fall of 2004.

The Ford GT features many new and unique technologies, including super plastic-formed frame, aluminum body panels, roll-bonded floor panels, a friction stir welded center tunnel, a "ship-in-a-bottle" gas tank, a capless fuel filler system, one-piece door panels, and an aluminum engine cover with a one-piece carbon-fiber inner panel.

Brakes are four-piston aluminum Brembo calipers with cross-drilled and vented rotors at all four corners. When the rear canopy is opened, the rear suspension components and engine are visible.

The mid-mounted 5.4 L Modular V8 engine is all-aluminum with a Lysholm twin screw-type supercharger. It features a forged rotating assembly housed in an aluminum block designed specifically for the GT program. A dry sump oiling system is employed, allowing the engine to sit low in the car's frame. The DOHC 4-valve heads are a revision of the 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R cylinder heads (with slightly increased wall casting thickness in the exhaust port). The camshafts have unique specifications, with more lift and duration than those found in the Shelby GT500 or 2003–2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. Power output is 550 hp (410 kW; 558 PS) at 6500 rpm and generates 500 ft·lbf (678 N·m) of torque at 3750 rpm. A Ricardo six-speed manual transmission is fitted featuring a helical limited-slip differential.

In automotive design, a RMR or Rear Mid-engine, Rear-wheel-drive layout is one in which the rear wheels are driven by an engine placed just in front of them, behind the passenger compartment. In contrast to the rear-engine RR layout, the center of mass of the engine is in front of the rear axle. This layout is typically chosen for its low moment of inertia and relatively favorable weight distribution (the heaviest component is near the center of the car, making the main component of its moment of inertia relatively low). The layout has a tendency toward being heavier in the rear than the front, which allows for best balance to be achieved under braking. However, since there is little weight over the front wheels, under acceleration, the front of the car is prone to lift and cause under steer. Most rear-engine layouts have historically been used in smaller vehicles, because the weight of the engine at the rear has an adverse effect on a larger car's handling, making it 'tail-heavy'. It is felt that the low polar inertia is crucial in selection of this layout. The mid-engine layout also uses up central space, making it impractical for any but two-seater sports cars. However, some micro vans use this layout, with a small, low engine beneath the loading area. This makes it possible to move the driver right to the front of the vehicle, thus increasing the loading area at the expense of slightly reduced load depth.

The Maybach 62 (chassis no. V240) were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand's revival by DaimlerChrysler AG (now Daimler AG). They are derived from the Benz Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. The concept car was based on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan, as are the eventual production models. The Luxury Brand Status Index 2008 voted the Maybach 1st place, ahead of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The models will cease production in 2013, due to continued financial losses for the marquee, and sales at one fifth the level of the profitable Rolls Royce models. Both Maybach models are variants of the same ultra-luxurious automobile. The model numbers reflect the respective lengths of the automobiles indecimetres; the 57 is more likely to be owner-driven while the longer 62 is designed with a chauffeur in mind.

Standard features of all models include, but are not limited to: a navigation system with voice recognition, air conditioning with 4-zone climate controls, power rear sunshade, rear-seat DVD entertainment system,  interior air filter, front and rear seat massage, 21-speaker premium sound system, power tilt/telescopic heated wood/leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio and climate controls, power trunk open/close, voice-activated AM/FM radio with 10-disc CD changer, keyless start, heated front and rear seats, cooled front seats, power panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, premium leather upholstery, 18-way power front seats, 14-way power rear seats, heated cup holders, rearview camera, iPod adapter, wireless cell phone link, outside-temperature indicator, universal garage door opener, night vision.

Options for the Maybach 57 and 57S and standard for the Maybach 62, 62S, and Landaulet include: 18-way power rear seats (replacing 14-way), 5-zone climate controls (replacing 4-zone), power side sunshades; cooled rear seats, wireless headphones, voice-activated power panoramic sunroof (replacing power panoramic sunroof), steering wheel mounted navigation controls, heated glass windows, and 30-speaker premium sound system (replacing 21-speaker). The engine is a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-litre twin-turbo V12, generating 405 kilowatts (550.6 PS; 543.1 hp).

The Maybach 57 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in about 5.1 seconds; the Maybach 62 and 57 S, about 4.8 seconds; the Maybach 62 S, 4.5 seconds, and the Landaulet, 4.5 seconds. Though not extraordinary by today's sports-car standards, such acceleration is impressive for cars weighing well over 6,000 pounds. Maybachs in general are extremely powerful: the 57 has 518 bhp, the 57 S, 559 bhp, the 62, 570 bhp, the 62 S, 612 bhp, and the Landaulet, 633 bhp.

The Maybach 62 includes many luxury features such as fully reclining rear seats, Maybach 4 zone climate control, tinted-windows, infrared-reflecting laminated glass all round, AirMATIC dual control air suspension, display instruments in rear roof liner (showing speed, time and outside temperature), folding rear tables (left and right), BOSE Surround Everywhere sound system and a refrigerator compartment. The Maybach 62 also includes an array of additional features such as Cockpit Management and Navigation System (COMAND), which includes DVD navigation, CD changer in rear seats, DVD players and TV tuners front and rear, two rear LCD TV screens including remote control and two sets of headphones, and automatic closing doors.