Attendees of this year’s Geneva Motor Show will be greeted by some cheeky humor courtesy of Ford.

After launching its new GT supercar at the Detroit Auto Show the new 650-hp carbon fiber beast has made its way across the Atlantic to go on display in Ford’s booth in Switzerland. To announce it’s coming, Ford has erected a large billboard on the outside of the auto show.

A show known for its supercars, the GT won’t look out of place alongside debuts from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini

The wording is a direct shot across the bow of Ferrari, which launched its new supercar, the egotistically named LaFerrari, at this very show just 2 years ago.

Unlikely rivals, Ford and Ferrari do, however, have a tumultuous history. In the 1960s the Ford Motor Company attempted to buy Ferrari but was rebuffed at the last minute. The move enraged Henry Ford II who, as the story goes, commissioned the original GT40. That car then went on to trounce Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans sweeping the podium.

The new Ford GT will cost as much as a Lamborghini, and not a Huracan either.

Nope. Ford’s new carbon fiber 600+ horsepower supercar will be priced similar to the $398,000 Aventador – a car with 700 hp, twice as many cylinders and an exotic Italian brand behind it.

Speaking during the car’s European premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland today Ford’s VP of Global Product Development comment that, “price wise, we’ll be facing off against cars like the Aventador.”

It may not have quite the specs of the Lambo on paper, but Nair is confident in the GT’s ability to perform commenting that, “We’re certainly looking forward to going toe-to-toe with some of those great names [like Lamborghini].

Calling it “the pinnacle of Ford performance” Nair said the new GT will be, “an exclusive low volume supercar.”

How low? As few as 250 units a year.

That sort of volume is not unheard of for a hypercar like this. Ferrari will, in total, build just 499 versions of its million-dollar 950-hp hybrid LaFerrari.

That car was the focus of some of Ford’s auto show hype, with large billboards set up outside the auto show proclaiming the car to be “LaFord.”

Shots fired!

Ford’s reborn GT promises to deliver breathtaking performance that should more than match its exotic styling. But don’t let that swanky bodywork fool you, this car shares more with an F-150 or Explorer than you might expect.

And surprisingly that similarity is found in the engine compartment. Unlike rival Lamborghinis or Ferraris, which typically have 10- or 12-cylinder powerplants this humble Ford is making do with a just half a dozen pots under its hood. The origins of this engine might surprise you.

Dave Pericak, head of the newly formed Ford Performance division said, “When you look at the block, when you look at the heads, 70 percent of the engine is that 3.5-liter.” Yes, it’s mostly the same EcoBoost bent-six you can get in a commercial vehicle or crossover. Are you depressed yet?

Well you shouldn’t get too upset because this powerplant will deliver more than 600 ponies (hopefully A LOT more). To achieve those inflated figures Pericak said, “We’ve got a different calibration strategy in there, we’ve got different turbo sizing and stuff like that,” but he wouldn’t go into greater detail than this because they’re “still in the engineering phase.” Presumably things could change between now and when the car goes on sale.

In addition to these enhancements this next-generation powerplant features low-friction roller-finger followers instead of the flat mechanical tappets found in today’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost unit. It also benefits from a unique fuel delivery system with both port and direct injectors. This is a technology Toyota has implemented for a number of years, particularly in its Lexus models.

Proving the overall robustness of this powerplant the stock aluminum block is more than capable of handling the GT’s stable of horses. “It’s been proven out on the racetrack so it’s very durable,” said Pericak. In fact vehicles powered by this engine took home three wins in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship last year. That includes a victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring and more than seven podium finishes. To date the blue oval’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine has proven itself by racking up more than 15,000 miles competing in endurance races.

With the engine in the new Ford GT is it a case of racing-grade hardware trickling down to the street or everyday components making their way into competition? Yes, yes indeed.

It also benefits from a unique fuel delivery system with both port and direct injectors. This is a technology Toyota has implemented for a number of years, particularly in its Lexus models.