Ford’s all-new GT supercar features an innovative 10″ wide digital instrument display, far removed from the original model’s fixed set of analog gauges, buttons and knobs.

The digital display in the all-new GT is meant to quickly and easily present the driver with vital information, based on the car’s five special driving modes (Normal, Wet, Sport, Track, V-Max).

“Driver focus and attention are key with such high performance,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Performance. “We’ve designed the GT with a sleek digital instrument display that changes depending on driving mode in ways that are important and usable to the driver.”

In order to test the initial design, Le Mans winner Scott Maxwell was invited to the Ford GT simulation lab in order to give the engineers feedback. Maxwell was the one who suggested changing the tachometer to provide an expanded view of the power unit’s redline, for greater peripheral visibility.

As for the five drive modes, they’re easily accessible through the steering wheel-mounted controls, allowing the driver to keep his eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all time.

In Normal mode, the design theme is simple with a centered speedometer, the gear selection to the right, and fuel and temperature positioned top-left. The 3,000 to 7,000 rpm range dominates the top of the display. Wet mode uses a blue theme and a “wet floor” concept, as graphics under the speedometer emulate the shine of wet asphalt in order to remind the driver of the mode he’s in and the grip conditions outside.

For Sport mode, it’s all about information priority. You’ve got the gear selection front and center, with the speedometer to the right and less prominent. Track mode features a combination of black background and highly legible text and graphics, all while using a red visual theme.

Finally, V-Max utilizes a completely different display, with a large, centered speedometer, coolant temp, oil pressure, oil temp and turbo boost to the right and fuel level top left.

“We spent an enormous amount of time getting this just right,” said Nick Terzes, Ford GT engineering supervisor. “The result is simple, but achieving simple perfectly can be a challenge.”

According to Ford, the all-new GT won’t be the only model to receive a full digital instrument display, as future Ford vehicles will also feature this technology.

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