When you're a company as large as Ford, and you decide to make a limited production exotic car, it's not easy to justify all the "little things" that, say, Ferrari or Porsche do for their limited production vehicles. Look around the GT's interior and you see plenty of "parts bin raiding" in terms of switchgear. While that's not my favorite part of the GT, I think one of my least favorite parts of this "parts-bin shuffle" is reflected in the plastic key fob that could easily be confused with a Focus or Taurus key chain. You do get a tiny "Ford GT" printed on one side of the key itself, but otherwise it's all standard-issue stuff...
Aftermarket companies like Steeda offer an upgraded key fob that is machined from aluminum. You can basically put all the factory key fob's internals into the new, high-grade exterior case (however, it says "Steeda" on the outside). We haven't gone that route, but a search on ebay located an upgraded, metal key chain that goes between the key and the fob for less than $15. And this one says "Ford GT" in the correct font. You do what you can.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 5,838 miles
desmolicious says:
01:02 PM, 10/ 9/06
Wow, I had a much nicer switchblade type key on my old Golf! Still wouldn't be a deal breaker...
playdrv4me says:
07:09 AM, 10/15/06
This is a complaint I have always had with both Ford and GM and Im glad someone else noticed. With so many abroad now providing "all-in-one" keyfob solutions (including Ford's own Jaguar and Land Rover), why are the domestics stuck with these hideous two piece solutions that (at least in the case of Ford) haven't changed since about 1990? Sure, it may be a small insignificant detail, but details are what keep the competitors ahead.
drmillerM3 says:
10:51 AM, 03/25/09
My '95 7 series has a laser cut key, and has an all in one style with the controls on the key itself. Ford's just a couple years behind here, lol.