Ford is highlighting their GT supercar as the most advanced production car in the history of the automobile, and they’re doing so with the determination of a company that invests billions of dollars annually in research and development; in 2016, the company invested over $7 billion.

Exactly how much of Ford’s yearly R&D budget went into the GT is unknown, but the price tag must’ve been considerable. The car is extraordinary, and honor is due the American company for taking the plunge, and producing an exotic car which has become an overnight icon and source of pride for the U.S. automotive industry.

The company set the bar high for the GT, aspiring to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. They’ve developed carbon-fiber manufacturing techniques which produce more of the super-stiff, ultra-lightweight material in less time. And they’ve used the GT as a means of giving credibility and exposure to their proprietary, green-spirited EcoBoost engine technology, which improves turbo performance while increasing engine efficiency.

As far as automotive design, the envelope-pushing GT has been a noble and successful experiment, and a means of extending automotive aerodynamic research as well. The adaptive aerodynamics employed in the GT’s design represent an acute system of compensation, using a deployable rear wing with jet-wing design elements, among other components, to shift airflow according to changing driving conditions.

The GT’s hydraulic suspension is compensatory as well, allowing for ride height adjustment on the road. The car’s five preset driving modes can bring the height up or down by up to two inches.

The car’s price tag of $450K and aristocratic application process will stymie most, and offend some. But the car is, at this stage of the game, more of a symbol than a machine, a potent indication of Ford’s potential.