All posts in “2017 ford gt”

Ford and Mecum settle Ford GT auction lawsuit out of court

Last year, John Cena selling his Ford GT and the subsequent lawsuit became dominant news about the supercar, but it wasn’t the only GT exchange to become litigious. Mecum Auctions consigned a 2017 Ford GT, number 48 of the production run, for its May auction in Indianapolis, and according to Fox News, Ford first tried to institute a restraining order on the sale, but the local court ruled in favor of Mecum. The car sold for $1.8 million, and Ford sued. The same car even went for auction again at Mecum’s Monterey auction that year, but didn’t sell, even with the high bid of $1.6 million. After all this, the lawsuit between the two companies has been settled out of court.

Ford announced the settlement that notes an undisclosed amount of money coming from Mecum Auctions. That money will be donated to the Ford Motor Company Fund, which provides money to various community organizations with a focus on education, safety and community services. In addition, Mecum Auctions agreed to not consign any Ford GTs from original owners that are still under the two-year restriction on resale. The company will also contact Ford for permission before offering Ford GTs from non-original owners that have cars still within the two-year restriction. Both companies also ask original owners to abide by the two-year sale policy.

With this lawsuit settled, we realized that the Cena Ford GT alone was sold a few times in the span of a year, and we were curious if there are any other suits pending. A Ford representative confirmed that there are some additional lawsuits, and the company is “confident we can enforce the ownership agreements.” As the lawsuits are current, he couldn’t give us any further information. We also reached out to Mecum Auctions for a statement, but did not receive one by the time we published.

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Ford sues John Cena for flipping his 2017 Ford GT

When Ford launched its Application Program for the Ford GT, observers noted the hoops and hurdles Ford set up to manage its relationship with the high-end clientele club. Well, every club has a toilet, Ford just found it, and actor John Cena left the carmaker a present. Cena took delivery of a custom 2017 GT in September, then sold the coupe not even a month later — an audacious violation of the purchase contract he signed, which bound owners to hold onto their cars for at least two years. For such treason, Ford sued Cena in U.S. District Court last week, seeking more than $75,000 in damages.

Cena paid $466,376.50 for the liquid blue coupe with the “Dark Energy” interior, and made a video about taking delivery of the car around Sept. 23. Not long after that love-fest, sometime around Oct. 20, the GT had a new owner. Ford called Cena a few days later when it heard about the sale, and said Cena copped to the flip. The ex-WWE wrestler is alleged to have later texted Ford, “I completely understand and as stated am willing to work with you and Ford to make it right. My sincerest apologies,” and explained the sale was “for cash to take care of expenses.”

Ford’s lawsuit alleges Cena never made it right, after snagging “a handsome profit.” The Blue Oval wants restitution for that profit, for “damages and losses, including, but not limited to, loss of brand value, ambassador activity, and customer goodwill due to the improper sale,” and for attorney and court costs.

The whole situation is kind of kooky, considering Cena’s car collection numbers roughly 22 cars, one of them a 2006 Ford GT. Cena’s YouTube series Auto Geeks makes a point of telling the story behind each one of his cars; we’re surprised this is the story he wants to tell about his 2017 Ford GT. Ford’s lawsuit said Cena’s Application Program appeal included the line, “[If] I were to be deemed fit for ownership I would most certainly use every vehicle of communication to let the world know about the car, the brand, and the experience.” Now the only words he has for Ford come from his wrestling days: “If you want some, come get some!”

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Ford GT Competition Series sheds weight and slathers on the carbon fiber

Ford unveiled Thursday the most track-focused version of the GT that you can still drive on the road, called the Competition Series, promising impressive weight savings and clever use of carbon fiber. Ford revealed the GT model this week in Daytona ahead of the Daytona 500 and weeks after the GT’s class victory at the Rolex 24.

Ford took aim at cutting weight from the upper part of the GT in a bid to lower the center of gravity. The Competition Series has a Perspex acrylic engine hatch cover and uses Gorilla glass for the bulkhead behind the driver, which is slimmer and lighter than on regular GT models. The engine compartment also has a manual latch and carbon-fiber prop to further slash weight. Finally, Ford deletes the air conditioning, infotainment system, cupholders, radio, and storage bins. Optional equipment on the regular GT, like titanium lugnuts and exhaust and carbon-fiber wheels, are standard on this model.

Design-wise, the GT Competition Series gets gloss carbon-fiber striping, A-pillars, and mirror caps, and the lower body trim is exposed, glossed carbon fiber. The cabin gets more exposed carbon fiber and Alcantara suede with red accents. The supercar will be sold in six colors, black, white, silver, blue, gray, and yellow.

The Competition Series continues with the 647-horsepower twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 used in the other GTs. It will weigh 3,054 pounds, a spokesman said. The GT is a limited-run model, with 250 produced per year during the car’s four confirmed years of production. The Competition Series will be a slice of that allotment, and its price was not revealed.

“The Competition Series was developed with the most hardcore track enthusiasts in mind, providing a tailored set of lightweight features and unique livery to match,” Ford product chief Raj Nair said in a statement.

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