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Dearborn<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 The super-exclusive\u00a0mid-engine Ford GT supercar just a got a little less exclusive.<\/p>\n To meet\u00a0global demand, Ford announced Thursday it is increasing total production of the coveted\u00a0$500,000, 647-horsepower beauty from 1,000 to 1,350 \u2013 extending to the 2022 model year from the previously announced 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ford GT is one of the world\u2019s most desirable supercars. We were blown away when we launched it in 2016 and received 6,500 applications \u2013 outstripping supply by more than 6-to-1,\u201d said Hermann Salenbauch, head of Ford Performance, at Ford\u2019s Dearborn Proving Grounds. \u201cThe excitement for this car continues to amaze us, which is why we love doing more.\u201d<\/p>\n Built as a production homologation car<\/a>\u00a0so that Ford could return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2016 \u2013 50 years after it first won the event with the legendary GT40 race car \u2013 anticipation for the scissor-door\u00a02017-2020 GT production rocket soared after the race version won the 2016 French race.<\/p>\n Despite its then-$450,000 base price, demand was fierce. Unlike the first GT supercar which saw limited U.S.\u00a0production from 2005-2006, the state-of-the-art\u00a0twin-turbo V-6 2017 car is available in the U.S., Europe\u00a0and Mideast-Africa, and has brought interest from around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of its heritage as the Ford that beat Ferrari at Le Mans, the GT may be even more recognized internationally,\u201d said Jim Owens, North American Ford Performance manager. The GT is the halo car of the Performance division which includes capable toys like the Mustang GT500, Raptor pickup truck, and Focus RS.<\/p>\n GT orders will open Nov. 8 at FordGT.com for the 350 additional cars; the ordering window stays open for\u00a030 days. The extensive application process requires applicants to prove themselves worthy as owners. Approved buyers have included such notables as\u00a0NASCAR superstar Kurt Busch<\/a>, actor John Cena\u00a0and electronic music producer and DJ\u00a0 Deadmau5.<\/p>\n The announcement brought mixed reaction from existing owners.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI\u2019m disappointed that they are building more than the 1,000 initially promised. It will depreciate the value of the cars,\u201d said Lauren Fix of Buffalo,\u00a0who bought a 2017 GT with special Heritage livery and titanium exhaust. Only 14 such cars were built of the 138 produced for that model year.<\/p>\n Ford\u2019s Saltenbauch sought to relieve owner concerns that the production extension will hurt existing cars\u2019 investment value. \u201cThe car is desirable. Even with a slight production increase, it won\u2019t reduce exclusivity, and we think it will build excitement even more.\u201d<\/p>\n While pricing starts at $500,000, owners say that options quickly put the car’s cost at north of $600,000 even before trims like the\u00a0Heritage model\u00a0are added on.<\/p>\n Under contract, GT owners cannot sell their GTs for two years \u2013 so few GTs have been resold into the market.\u00a0Ford sued Cena late last year<\/a>\u00a0for contract breach after the actor flipped his GT to another buyer. Cena\u2019s car has since sold to a couple of different owners for $1.32 million and $1.54 million.<\/p>\n While Ford ups production, the race car continues to compete in the international FIA World Endurance Championship (the sanctioning body for Le Mans) and the U.S.-based IMSA Weathertech series where the GT first captured the 2018 manufacturer\u2019s championship.<\/p>\nGT owner Karl Brauer, an auto analyst with Kelley Blue Book, was less concerned. \u201cI don\u2019t think the increased numbers will have much of an impact on value. Unlike the 2005 GT, this is a global car with global demand.\u201d<\/div>\n