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Ford GT supercar unveiled at Detroit Auto Show

DETROIT – The paint on the new Mustang may be barely dry, but Ford is already planning to take its performance lineup to the next level with an all-new GT supercar that was unveiled at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

Set to hit the street next year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s 1-2-3 win at the 24 Hours of LeMans, the low-slung, two-seat mid-engine coupe features a lightweight carbon fiber chassis and body, and a 600-plus horsepower 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged V6 derived from the one Ford’s Tudor Sports Car Championship prototype race car.

A seven-speed dual clutch automated transaxle sends the power to the rear wheels, which will also be made from carbon fiber, while carbon ceramic brakes provide stopping power.

The styling is an evolution of the GT40 from the 1960s, as well as the 2005 GT, but with a tapered body that’s so narrow in the rear that its connected to the fenders by flying buttresses, which create passages for air to flow back toward the deployable rear spoiler.

The interior is also dramatically accessed through swing-up clamshell doors and has a clean, simple design, with a racing-inspired square steering wheel, huge shift paddles behind it, a rotary transmission selector and exposed chassis components.

Performance and pricing were not revealed, but Ford Global Performance Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi tells FoxNews.com that it will stand on top of the lineup as a low volume halo car.