Ford is always pushing the envelope on what its vehicles can achieve, and with new hybrid windshield technology, the next generation of Ford GT supercar promises to be lighter and more powerful than ever. New Cornering Gorilla Glass hybrid windshields with extremely strong and light construction change the center of gravity on the Ford GT for better handling.
What is the Gorilla Glass Windshield?
The Cornering Gorilla Glass windshield began life as a concept technology, but it will be just another feature which makes the new Ford GT one of the most impressive cars on the road. Gorilla Glass was originally used in consumer electronics, like smartphone and computer screens, but working together, researchers and engineers from Ford and Cornering were able to develop a super strong, light, and scratch resistant material that could be used in both front and rear windshields for the 2016 Ford GT.
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The Gorilla Glass windshield uses three extremely thin layers of material working together to offer both sound dampening and wind protection. In a traditional windshield, two sheets of heat-strengthened glass are connected with a third layer of thermoplastic which binds the two together. In Cornering Gorilla Glass windshields, the three layers involved are a hybrid glass layer for the interior of the vehicle, a heat-strengthened glass exterior, and a layer of noise-absorbing thermoplastic between them.
“During development, we tried different glass variations before we found a combination that provided both weight savings and the durability needed for exterior automotive glass,” said Paul Linden, Ford body exteriors engineer in a recent Ford press release. “We learned, somewhat counterintuitively, that the strengthened interior layer of the windshield is key to the success of the hybrid window.”
The resultant windshield and rear paneling is around 30 percent lighter than that in the competition, without losing any strength, resilience or scratch resistance. The Ford GT with Gorilla glass windshield was able to meet specifications in rollover, wind tunnel, and certain projectile testing. The decreased weight also allows the new Ford GT to have a lower center of gravity, which improved handling and agility.
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While this new advance in hybrid glass will be first appearing in the new Ford GT, Ford plans to continue bringing technology advances to all of its vehicles and customers.
