Some of the most interesting stories from automotive history concern the naming of particular models. Many, many vehicles have been named in quite arbitrary, last-minute ways and here are a few of them:. Ford GT One of the most legendary grand prix racing cars of all time, the Anglo-American GT40 vaporized European manufacturers' historic hold on the LeMans title, sweeping victory after victory, year after year, and the first race car built to break the mph barrier on the infamous Mulsanne Straight at LeMans.
One of the biggest problems in the car's development was that of finding a name. Eventually, no decision could be reached and the designers settled on the arbitrary idea of naming it for whatever its overall height was: forty inches!
The GT 40 was born. Sunbeam Tiger: This little classic car from the now-defunct Rootes Group of England went through a number of names before its final one. Right in the centre of the grille is the Cobra snake logo, which shows the whole world your Mustang is something special. Around the back is a massive rear wing with an optional Gurney flap that increases downforce and improves traction.
The optional carbon-fibre package will benefit the looks as well as the performance. Ford worked extremely hard to get the sound of the GT right, getting properly nerdy about primary harmonics, which involve sounds generated by the engine firing; and secondary harmonics, which are things like intake noise and spinning mechanical parts.
First is Normal, which gives you the standard V8 burble, though it can sound more aggressive when the pedal is mashed.
Sport Mode gives a more throaty tone and allows the engine to breathe a little better, and once the engine is spinning up in the higher rev ranges, you can hear the proper Mustang sound.
Track Mode, however, is a completely different beast. Switch it on and the exhaust is almost fully open, the throaty burbles heard in Sport mode turn into absolute earthquakes, and once the engine is near red line, the treble of the engine grabs your ears and twists them for a completely raw experience. We assume this will be the least-used option. The car has microphones that listen for unwanted din, and emits tones from the stereo to cancel those sounds out , making the exhaust note more prevalent.
Ford tested the tech in a noise-cancelling dog-calming kennel — the sounds of a V8 calm us down, too. The Mustang has come a long way since its beginning as a live-axle pitman-arm-steered leftover of a small family sedan.
The Mustang is now something to be seriously reckoned with, and the GT only adds to the handling prowess, with new independent rear suspension. Those carbon-fiber wheels we mentioned do more than just look good, they shave off pounds of rotating mass, helping the GT accelerate much easier. In a performance car, tires are near the top in terms of importance, and the GT boasts Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber standard.
To add to the absolute madness, Ford will keep the rear seats on the shelf if you ask it to, making for even greater weight savings. Ford also says the GT can clock a quarter-mile under 11 seconds.
The engine itself also featured a cast aluminum intake manifold. In the cockpit the GT also received an upgraded mph speedometer, an 8,rpm tach and a couple of other additional gauges. But the biggest and the most noticeable change, and also one of the most practical, safety-wise, was the roll bar.
Badging was relatively light on the inside: Cobras appeared on the passenger-side dash as well as the three-spoke steering wheel trimmed in wood. There were plenty of other opportunities to advertise the car's performance on the outside, with Cobra badging along with a rocker stripe. Buyers had three options when it came to wheels, and all were 15 inches in diameter -- this was in the age of smaller wheels.
A bigger engine wasn't the only mechanical change: Shelby fitted stiffer front springs to Ford's stock suspension, an upgraded anti-roll bar and Gabriel shock absorbers. The GT also featured front disc brakes as standard equipment, which would come in useful for a lot of owners. One would think that hp and lb-ft of torque would be enough to satisfy all customers seeking a faster Mustang, but halfway through Shelby offered the GTKR, which stood for "King of the Road.
Powered by the new CID Cobra Jet V8 engine with a single CFM Holley four-barrel carburetor with a ram air system, this engine received an upgraded camshaft, reworked cylinder heads and connecting rods and an upgraded crankshaft.
The output, at least officially, was still , but in reality it was well over the hp mark.
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