FORD GT PICTORIAL
FORD GT ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ROAD
Exploring the Atlantic Ocean Road
SUPERCAR? CHECK. ONE OF EUROPE’S GREATEST DRIVING ROADS? YOU BET! THE RESULT: SOME OF THE MOST GORGEOUS IMAGES OF THE NEW FORD GT TAKEN OUT TO PLAY ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ROAD.
It must be close to the ultimate road trip – driving the stately promenade of a spectacular coastal road, followed by a record-breaking blast around a very special circuit, unfamiliar to all but the biggest racing fans.
This is precisely what Ford Europe had in mind for their latest video of their series on Europe’s Greatest Driving Roads– that’s meant to put the spotlight on the new Ford GT supercar.
The Atlantic Ocean Road, which elegantly showcases the jaw-dropping beauty of Norway’s shores, is undoubtedly one of Europe’s greatest driving roads and needs to be driven, to be believed.
The road, known as Atlanterhavsveien in Norwegian, is an 8.3-kilometre-long section of County Road 64 that runs through an archipelago in Eide and Averøy in Møre og Romsdal, Norway.
Consisting of a string of eight bridges, it passes by Hustadvika, an unsheltered part of the Norwegian Sea, connecting the island of Averøy with the mainland and Romsdalshalvøya peninsula. It runs between the villages of Kårvåg on Averøy and Vevang in Eida. Built on several small islands and skerries, it is connected by several causeways, viaducts, and bridges – the most prominent being Storseisundet Bridge.
The route was initially proposed as a railway line in the early 20th century, but the idea was soon abandoned when serious planning of the road started in the 1970s.
Construction began in August 1983. During development, the area was hit by no less than 12 hurricanes before it was opened in July 1989.
Often used to film advertisements, the road has become immensely popular with the automotive industry; and more than ten manufacturers have already made television commercials along the route, often depicting the harsh weather.
To round off the supercar journey, the GT – propelled by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 delivering a sizeable 482 kW of power and 746 Nm of torque (with 90% of the latter available from 3,500 r/min) – was taken on a high-octane detour to the little-known Arctic Circle Raceway.
Located only 30 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, the 3.7-kilometre circuit, opened in 1995, is the biggest racetrack in Norway. Custom built for road racing, it has the possibility for 24-hour racing in full daylight in summer because of the midnight sun.
Here, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing driver and Le Mans veteran, Stefan Mücke, set a new lap record at what is the world’s most northerly circuit. Describing this experience, he said that the GT might be a massively quick road car, but the way it was designed means it truly comes into its own on a circuit. “It’s great to set a new lap, but to do it here at such a beautiful circuit, with such a special car, is really something.”
The Norwegian driving experience with the GT is the seventh video in the Europe’s Greatest Driving Roads series from Ford and can be viewed on the ‘Ford Europe’ YouTube channel.
“THE ROUTE WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED AS A RAILWAY LINE IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, BUT THE IDEA WAS SOON ABANDONED WHEN SERIOUS PLANNING OF THE ROAD STARTED IN THE 1970s.”