The call of the day at Ford Motor Company was simple: beat Ferrari at its’ own game, racing. Then again, that’s putting it mildly. Ford didn’t just want to beat Ferrari, it wanted to annihilate the Italian Stallion, prove the point that Ford, indeed, would have been a fabulous partner, and make Enzo Ferrari regret his decision.

The new film “Ford v Ferrari” allows viewers to relive Ford’s amazing journey to Le Mans in 1966, following the trials and tribulations Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles endured throughout the process. The star of the movie, however, is the Ford GT40 race car, and the beautiful machine presented here is the very same Ken Miles Hero Car driven by Christian Bale during the filming of “Ford v Ferrari.”

“Ford v Ferrari” captures the spirit of the era with excellent aplomb, while Matt Damon and Christian Bale portray the chemistry between Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles brilliantly. This 1966 Superformance Ford GT40 faithfully emulates the car driven by Ken Miles to second place at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was built at Superformance in Irvine, California, and is one of two built that were used in the newly released “Ford v Ferrari.” Superformance representative Rich MacDonald reached out to representatives at FOX Studios about the possibility of featuring the cars in the new film, noting their high-quality and accurate builds; one was a representative of Bruce McLaren’s black GT40 that placed first at Le Mans in 1966, and the other was this car. FOX clearly agreed with MacDonald’s assessments of Superformances’ craftsmanship, as both cars were taken into the care of FOX during the filming of the movie.

Ultimately, it is this car that would become the star, the Hero Car driven by Christian Bale during the filming of the movie. Because the incredible attention to detail is truly astonishing, it was this car that provided the close-up magic of the GT40. This comes as no surprise considering MacDonald’s father, Dave MacDonald, was the first driver to score a victory in a Shelby Cobra. Superformance went to great lengths to design the car, seemingly to ensure that every conceivable detail was tended to in order to give it as authentic and correct an appearance as possible, and all of this before they had even been selected for filming. The toggle switches and screws, interior materials and so many more details are jaw-dropping.

Powered by a specially prepared Roush 427IR V-8 engine built to 511 CI and producing 604 HP and 572 lb-ft of torque, the engine employs numerous performance features such as a K&N Inglese-style injection system and a rear-exit “Bundle of Snakes” exhaust. The entire package sends power through an RBT/ZF-style 5-speed manual transaxle. Presented in the legendary blue livery, the GT40 features a pressed steel roof and a unibody structure constructed of electro-galvanized steel. The independent front suspension hosts unequal-length A-arms, Bilstein shocks with H&R springs and an anti-roll bar; out back is an independent rear suspension with trailing arms, unequal-length lateral arms, Bilstein shocks with H&R springs and an anti-roll bar. Rack-and-pinion steering provide easy and accurate direction while vented disc brakes with Wilwood calipers easily bring speeds down. Rolling on Shelby American Halibrand-style wheels with knock-off hubs, the right-hand drive car also features original-style seats covered in Alcantara with silver rivets, Smiths instruments and a Motolita steering wheel among other fastidious details.

Signed by Ken Miles’ 1966 crew chief, Charlie Agapiou, and Peter Miles, Ken Miles’ son, this is the Hero Car that appears in the new “Ford v Ferrari” released on November 15, the car that has been showcased in trailers for the film, at various red carpet events alongside the stars of the film, on ESPN, and on CBS Sunday Morning. Lightning strikes but once—while owning an original GT40 racecar from 1966 is likely impossible, the opportunity of catching this lightning bolt in a bottle is here and now.