New Ford GT to feature smartphone-like Gorilla Glass windscreen

Ford has announced that it is the first automaker to use Corning Gorilla Glass Hybrid windshield technology in a production vehicle.

Ford says that it first approached Corning in 2007 to explore the use of Gorilla Glass for automotive applications.

The triple-layered material has a layer of tempered automotive glass, an “advanced noise-absorbing thermoplastic interlayer” in the middle and annealed glass layer on the outside.

The laminate in the Gorilla Glass hybrid window is also about 25-50 percent thinner, but its strength is at least equal that of traditional laminate, the company said.

Ironically, Henry Ford was the one to introduce the U.S.to the traditional windshield that has been in use for nearly a century. A unique glass combination is also being used as the bulkhead panel between the passenger cell and engine bay and for the engine cover.

In order to test the durability of the new glass, it was tested on mule cars over rough road conditions and even had to endure custom projectile, rollover and wind tunnel tests. Prior to this, it displayed an impressive feat of rigidity and toughness as it survived a hail gun’s assault on the windshield that shattered conventional windshields and barely left scratches on the Gorilla Glass variant.

“It’s the newest thing to happen to glass since 1923”, said Paul Linden, a supervisor of body exterior mechanisms at Ford. When engineers shot pieces of hail at Gorilla Glass, for example, it wasn’t damaged. Gorilla Glass reduced glazing weight on the MMLV by more than 30 percent.

The glass did not just make it into production.

“Weight is the enemy”, Linden said. Perhaps most important is the benefit on handling – removing the weight of glass high in the construction of the vehicle lowers the center of gravity and contributes to the car’s outstanding agility. Ford is saving around 12 pounds on the GT, so that means a $24 to $48 premium per vehicle.

One barrier to the wider adoption of Gorilla Glass is expense. Something you want when you come up with a auto that battles the Lamborghini Aventador – yes, we are referring to the GT’s rumored $400,000 price here.