Ford has officially unleashed the GT3 race car at the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It takes after the next-generation Mustang, specifically the Dark Horse variant, and will compete in the same race in June 2024.
Ford says it has entered the new Mustang racer into the FIA GT3 category. Could it replicate what the Mustang GT achieved when it won it all at Le Mans in 2016? The brand seems confident enough.
“Ford and Le Mans are bound together by history. And now we’re coming back to the most dramatic, most rewarding and most important race in the world. It is not Ford versus Ferrari anymore. It is Ford versus everyone. Going back to Le Mans is the beginning of building a global motorsports business with Mustang, just like we are doing with Bronco and Raptor off-road," said Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company CEO.
The Mustang GT3 features a striking livery courtesy of renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee. Ford's signature blue is on full display here, along with vivid strokes of orange and purple. Also prominent is the new Ford Performance branding, which aims to recalibrate the Blue Oval's racing division as a more desirable lifestyle brand.
Performance-wise, the GT3 goes all out with involvement from past Ford partners Multimatic and M-Sport. The former will help engineer the new racer, while the latter will assemble the 5.4-litre Coyote-based V8 engines that could make north of 450 kW.
In addition to a GT3-level aero package, the new Mustang Racer gets carbon fiber body panels, a bespoke short-long arm suspension, and a rear-mounted transaxle gearbox.
Ford Performance fans don't have to wait until this time next year to see the Mustang GT3 in action, as it will reportedly compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship that starts in February.
The 2024 Ford Mustang is also coming to New Zealand later this year, including the Dark Horse version underpinning the GT3. Unfortunately, pricing has yet to be confirmed.