We were one of the fortunate ones. Not just because we snagged a Ford GT (okay, that was pretty fortunate, too). No, we're lucky because we were able to order the car exactly the way we wanted versus buying one ordered by a dealer. The bulk of GTs were ordered to achieve maximum profit for the dealer, and that meant loading them up with every option, including the $4,000 McIntosh audio system...
That system sounds fine, but it puts a big, honkin' subwoofer between the seats that blocks your ability to see the mid-engine V8 while making the cabin feel cramped. So when ordering our GT we went with the ordinary base head unit, thus saving $4000 (and 80 pounds, according to the GT's engineers). So how does the factory system sound? Just fine, but ergonomically it has some quirks. A big one is the power button that has to be held down for what seems like an eternity (it's probably around two seconds in reality) before the system actually turns on or off. This button also serves to switch between radio and CD listening, and being dual purpose means something -- like how long you press it -- has to differentiate those functions. We also would prefer a tuning dial to the buttons featured on this head unit. It's worth noting that there was a last-minute supplier issue that forced Ford to switch the base head unit just before GT production began. As a result many early buyers, assuming they had the opportunity to custom order their GT at all, were told they had to get the McIntosh system or wait a few months to order a GT with the base head unit. Glad we waited and saved our money.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 4,724 miles
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