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Dive deep into the Ford GT's five different drive modes

Wondering what each mode does, and how it does it? We're here to tell you.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
Ford
Watch this: Ford GT includes dedicated top-speed drive mode

To make sure Ford GT owners get the most from the supercar in every condition possible, the automaker says, it packs five different modes.

For your average driver going about a somewhat standard routine, Normal is the mode to select. In Normal mode, the GT has about 4.7 inches of ground clearance, which should keep the car from eating itself alive on bumpy roads. Traction and stability control cannot be adjusted, and the rear wing comes out at 90 mph.

If you take your expensive supercar out in the rain, Wet mode is the way to go. It gives you the same steering calibration as Normal, but it dials back the throttle response to cut down on wheel slip. The ride height is the same, and like Normal mode, the traction and stability control systems can't be adjusted. Safety first!

Ford GT Competition Series
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Ford GT Competition Series

The only thing that stinks about driving the Ford GT is that you're not able to stand outside and admire it.

Ford

Both Normal and Wet modes also feature a comfort setting for the suspension, which ratchets up the damping to help make even the worst roads (many of which are located in the GT's home state of Michigan) somewhat palatable.

Head on over to Sport mode if you want a sprightlier on-road demeanor. The throttle and transmission calibrations are sharper, the comfort suspension option is removed, and the traction and stability control finally become adjustable. It can permit additional oversteer, although drifting on public roads is very much frowned upon. Sport mode also activates the GT's antilag feature, which keeps the turbochargers spooled for more immediate response. The active rear wing now engages at 70 mph, as well.

That's it for the modes you can use on the street. Ford is adamant that the two following modes are only for track use.

Track mode takes the changes in Sport and turns the dial up to 11. The ride height drops to just under 2 inches, and the spring and damper rates are cranked to the maximum. The rear wing is permanently deployed for better aerodynamics, and as before, traction and stability control can be tweaked for a bit more slippage.

If you don't care about turns, or you happen to own a very long runway, you'll want V-Max mode, which is concerned with top speed and top speed alone. In order to minimize drag, the wing stays stowed, with most other settings similar to Track mode. However, it removes the adjustability from the traction and stability control systems, in order to keep the car pointed in the right direction under all that power.

With 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque coming from its 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6, the GT is ready to party, no matter what sort of party you're after.

Faster, lighter: Ford's GT Competition Series detailed

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