The original Ford GT40 of the early 1960s is a car shaped by pressure. Sure, there was the company’s former aerospace division pioneering wind tunnel testing for the race car, but, more importantly, the project involved the pressure of stealing Ferrari’s Le Mans crown, which it famously did. Now, six decades later, when digital artist and movie/gaming industry veteran Ash Thorp set out to pixel-build his take on the GT40, the pressure returned: how could I even consider improving upon its brilliance? the enthusiast asked himself. As it turns out, the answer involved plenty of dedication and, as The Beatles sang in 1967, getting by with a little help from one’s friends.
If you’ve seen The Batman earlier this year, you’re already familiar with Ash Thorp’s work, as he was the digital artist who handled the Batmobile and the Batcycle. Then again, you might’ve come in contact with the California-based artist thanks to movies such as Ender’s Game (2013) or by playing some of the titles included in the Call of Duty game franchise.
As far as his recent independent projects to, Ash joined forces with fellow digital creator and friend Carlos Pecino (aka ColorSponge). The duo started creating virtual builds under the MHC (Make Haste Corp) banner, as is the case with this Gen II Ford F-150 Raptor-R, a virtual trophy truck based on Ash’s real-life Raptor.
The Make Haste Corp
And, after over two years of baking these captivating, all-custom machines, the artists are now introducing a digital garage to hold all the pieces, namely a dedicated website for MHC. Apart from the obvious velocity-related implications, there’s also a tad of irony in the name: the creations it describes are some of the most elaborate digital builds on the internet, requiring the exact opposite of haste to produce.
Of course, the two came up with fresh goodies to mark the occasion. And, using an ascending order, we’ve already covered MHC #19, Colorsponge’s Chevy Nova “The Redrum”. So, without further ado, allow us to zoom in on MHC #20, “The Dream” Ford GT.
Sure, the aero approach used by this Le Mans-bred supercar is extreme and we’ll get back to that. Nevertheless, the key part of the project involves its deep connection with reality.
As such, Ash Thorp has not only strived to make this appear as photorealistic as possible, but also considered portraying mods that would be feasible in real life. After all, the idea with Make Haste Corp’s new digital home is to have a place that would serve as inspiration for builders who could bring such contraptions to the real world someday.
Do zoom in on the eye candy
The painstaking level of detail matches what you’d see on an actual circuit monster. Remove the rear clip and you’ll come across an intoxicating mix between the individual throttle bodies of the V8 (there’s an MHC badge adorning the block) and the carbon of the modern diffuser.
Speaking of which, while Ford’s mid-engined halo car is now in its third generation—production ends this year—this creation seems to float through time—just check out the wheel design and see if you can pinpoint a certain era!
The remastered GT40’s gritty take easily transports one into the rough world of motorsport, where nothing is spared in the consuming fight against the stopwatch. So we encourage you to zoom in on The Dream, which owes its name to the artist fantasizing about this model for as long as he can remember.
While elaborate, the downforce hardware fitted to the car is limited by the desire to preserve the original shape. Then again, with the motor staying true to the original’s N/A recipe, the approach is well balanced, so I feel a time attack is in order for The Dream GT40.
