Ford's Special Vehicle Team then subjected the GT itself to a combination of wind-tunnel testing and CFT (or computational fluid dynamics) modelling. In the translation from concept car to this almost-ready-for-production prototype, it subtly sprouted a front splitter, a smoothed-off undertray, a rear diffuser and a tiny bootlid lip spoiler. "Although, obviously, we couldn't get away with adding a big wing on the back."
The unique Goodyear 'Eagle F1 Supercar' tyres were bench-tested to speeds equivalent to well beyond 200mph before test drivers could risk taking prototype GTs up to around 190mph at a pair of five-mile circuits in Michigan and Arizona.
"Because these were ovals rather than circular tracks like Nardo, we were finding that we were having to slow down to 185mph as each turn approached," says Jamal. "Isn't that a lovely sentence? 'I slowed to 185.' " With what's termed the 'validation work' now done, he says "that gave us the confidence to go to Nardo.
"We brought a lot of alternative splitters, diffusers and spoilers out with us, in case we needed to make changes," he continues. "In practise, we didn't need them."
In fact, it seems they over-achieved. A couple of days earlier, this very Ford GT cracked 190mph at Nardo. And it didn't stop until it hit... 212mph. Not just once, but on three occasions, driven by three separate drivers.
Now, due to some unfathomable bureaucratic decision, Ford has decided to down-play the GT's top speed, planning to publish it as a still-mighty 205mph - a figure high enough to make this the fastest Ford road car ever.
