Ford
Supercars Now Using the Same Gorilla Glass as Your Cellphone
The new 2017 Ford GT is lining up to be the first car with a new Gorilla Glass windshield. This beauty will have the best power-to-weight ratio of any car in its class — if you can afford the $397,000 price tag. Its 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 engine can produce upwards of 637 horsepower. While we don’t know what its 0-60 and quarter mile times are going to look like yet, it’s a fair bet it’s going to give even the fastest supercars a run for their money.
Gorilla Glass Windshields
Gorilla Glass is a high-tech glass initially designed for phone and computer screens. It’s been used in smartphone screens for the last decade, but Corning, the company behind Gorilla Glass, has wanted to break into the automotive industry for years.
2017’s model year is the first time this glass will be used in car windshields. It’s lighter than traditional automotive glass, which is ideal for a sports car. After all, extra ounces equal seconds on the clock when you’re tearing down the track. While it’s great for speed, it’s also beneficial for fuel efficiency. This new glass alternative is 1/3 the weight of regular automotive glass.
Gorilla Glass is also stronger than regular windshield glass. This means that drivers will be safer both on the road and in the event of an accident. No more worrying about a stray rock off a truck cracking your windshield. Not only will this save you money in the long run, it means you don’t have to go through the hassle of replacing your windshield every time an acorn bounces off another car.
Future of Windshields
The Ford GT might be the first car to use Gorilla Glass for its windshields, but it definitely won’t be the last. Now that Corning has taken its first step into the automotive industry, it might not be too long before we see Gorilla Glass becoming commonplace in the automotive industry.
Gorilla Glass windshields could also be integrated with a heads-up display that allows drivers and passengers to be more connected to the car. This same display could also be integrated into the dashboard, replacing traditional analog displays. The touch sensitivity of this type of glass has already been showcased in hundreds of smartphone applications
Also see: Track-focused Ford GT Competition Series Launched
Gorilla Glass windshields might be the biggest innovation in automotive glass since they started putting glass in car windows. We’re curious to see how the introduction of this new windshield alternative affects the 0-60 time for the Ford GT. We don’t know about you, but we’re really excited to see the new GT on the track once it finally makes it off the showroom floor. Gorilla Glass windshields are just an added bonus.