By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, eBay

The hard-edged Superlite GT-R takes its inspiration from Le Mans itself, but it’s actually a step beyond the ’60s era effort that was dramatized in the recent film Ford v Ferrari. While the 2005 to 2006 Ford GT reboot, on which the Superlite is vaguely based, takes its inspiration from the original Ford GT40, the GT-R has an inspiring Le Mans story of its own as its guiding principle. Motivated by a Le Mans record-setting husband and wife team of David and Andrea Robertson, the Superlite GT-R takes its shape from one of the few ’05-’06 Ford GTs see success at Le Mans.

Despite the 550 hp supercharged 5.4 liter, dry-sump oiling, big Brembo brakes and six-speed transaxle, Ford never had competition in mind when designing the ’05 GT reboot. But the car’s breathtaking performance and technical excellence led to a few notable competition GTs, with Atlanta-based Robertson Racing among them. David and Andrea Robinson worked with Lebanon, Ohio, based Doran Racing to refine the road-going GT into a purebred racer, taking delivery of their first car in 2008. Until 2010, the Robertson’s campaigned and fine-tuned their GT2-spec Ford along with professional driver David Murry with some successes. But the real triumph came in 2011, when Robertson Racing entered a pair of GTs in the full ALMS season, in addition to applying for both cars to race in the mac daddy 24-hour event at Le Mans. The team was thrilled to have one of their GTs accepted and the other added to the reserve list, securing them a place in the historic event.

Although just one of their GTs ran at the event, David and Andrea were thrilled and knew they were making history at Le Mans. Aside from a faulty paddle shifter, the team ran a perfect race in the Ford, securing a third place finish next to all the huge teams and manufacturers at the event. After a highly emotional conclusion, the Robertson Racing team found themselves on the podium, with David and Andrea being the first married couple to ever stand on the podium at Le Mans together. In addition, Andrea would be the first woman to stand on the podium since 1931, and the event happened to fall on their wedding anniversary.

Recognizing the incredible significance of the event, Fraser, Michigan, based Superlite Cars worked with the Robertson Racing team to develop a close replica of their race car as a permanent part of their kit lineup. It’s based on a strong semi-monocoque chassis with plenty of trick billet components and a fiberglass body that incorporates the muscular flares and enhanced aero features. Set up for Ford or Chevrolet V8 engines, finished cars weigh in at around 2,500 pounds.

We don’t see quite as many finished GT-Rs as the company’s other offerings, such as the SL-C, but this scarlet red example for sale on eBay is certainly a stunner. Instead of an LS or Ford 5.0-liter Coyote, the car is powered by a Roush 427 ci V8 (509 hp claimed) with a Porsche G96/20 transaxle. The engine is fed by a FAST eight-stack style fuel system and wired with an Infinitybox racing system. Adjustable QA1 coilovers are fit along with an air lift system up front to improve ground clearance for street driving.

Offered in red gelcoat over a black fiberglass interior tub, this GT-R represents a strong value at $88,800 here on eBay. The car has covered just 167 miles since completion and comes with dyno sheets and owners manuals.