Ford's Iconic GT40 Is The One Supercar I Always Wanted A Lap In: What's Your Dream Passenger Ride?

GT40 - this combination of letters and numbers is enough to send any petrolhead’s heartbeat racing. It is an icon, a four-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner, and a car so profoundly rare, that even seeing one in the metal makes you feel like you’ve been high-fived by Chuck Norris.

So imagine my euphoria when I was asked if I’d like a passenger lap in that very car around the famous Goodwood race track during last weekend’s Goodwood Revival. Yeah, I was excited and pretty damn sure that it might just top my recent outings in a Porsche 918 Spyder and a Mercedes SLS AMG driven by former F1 driver David Coulthard.

The car in question is Ford’s very own heritage model which has been owned by the company from new. It’s a race car replica, which means it’s got the small block 4.7-litre V8 and old-school five-speed sequential gearbox, twin fuel tanks and the 1966 Le Mans race-winning colours. To look at, the GT40 - any GT40 for that matter - is breathtaking, and not only because it sits just 40 inches from the floor, but also because of its super-wide body, aerodynamic skin and ready-to-race face.

Before the ride, I was tasked with getting into the seat - no mean feat if you’re above average height and weight, but for once, being short paid off for me as I was able to slip in like a glove to quickly admire the retro dashboard and switches (you’ll see these in the video below).

Now reasonably comfortable, the first thing that hit me was the heat. Even with the doors open, the mercury measures well above 40 degrees, such is the result of positioning the water pump just centimetres away from driver and passenger elbows. Fortunately, I was only wearing a shirt and trousers, not a full retro race suit like driver Ivan. Even so, I was sweating my proverbials off…

With the doors now closed, the engine is started. It takes a while of turning over until the V8 is awoken, but when it is, the heat and discomfort inside the cabin quickly subsides; with a V8 symphony as good as this, I’d probably have taken a punch to the face without realising.

As Ivan wrestles the heavy gear lever into first, the GT40’s running gear gives a satisfying clunk; something tells me that these things were built to last.

Now on track (behind a Mustang pace car), Ivan gives the GT40’s small accelerator pedal a firm push. The immediate surge forwards takes me by surprise (you probably guessed that with my reaction in the video) and transforms me into an excitable child.

Suddenly, the pace car pulls to the side of the track (it had actually broken down) and we’re able to enjoy the track unhindered. Sure, we didn’t hit particularly impressive speeds, but the low seating position, all-encompassing V8 noise and the mad heat made this an experience I wouldn’t need to remember for velocity alone. I was in the seat of an automotive great, a car with real history, rarity and unrivalled kudos from impressed onlookers.

While I might never get the opportunity to ride in a GT40 again, I think that my time in the seat has proven the age-old adage wrong; I met one of my automotive heroes and it exceeded all expectations.

So then my question to you: if there is one car - any car in the world - that you’re desperate to be given a passenger lap in, what is it and why?