Photo: Ford / edited
The Mustang GT3 will make its long-awaited premiere on June 9. Where? Ford chose Le Mans, which isn't exactly surprising because Ford wants to dominate the GT3 class with this car.
The Dearborn-based automaker first confirmed the project more than a year ago, back in January 2022. The newcomer packs a Coyote V8-derived engine with a displacement of 5.4 liters rather than 5.0 liters. Developed by Ford Performance, yet assembled by M-Sport in the United Kingdom, this lump sounds properly delectable. Another difference between it and the V8-powered Mustang road car is the rear-mounted transaxle as opposed to a six-speed manual or a ten-speed automatic.
To be manufactured by Canadian outfit Multimatic instead of Ford at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, the Mustang GT3 is dressed in carbon fiber. Trick aero is also noted, and – typical for a racing car – the interior is more spartan compared to road-going ponies. There is talk of a series-production version although it remains to be seen if the GT3 will replace the Shelby GT350 in the Mustang's lineup.
It's not impossible given that Ford's long-running Mach 1 nameplate has been axed in favor of Dark Horse for the 2024 model year Mustang. A few months ago, right after the Ford Motor Company published a clip of the Mustang GT3 testing at Sebring, big kahuna Jim Farley took to Twitter to ask enthusiasts whether a road version would pique their interest.
Pretty much everyone replied yes. Considering how many dollars the Ford Motor Company is pouring into racing derivatives of the seventh-generation Mustang, a street-legal GT3 makes plenty of sense. It's hard to say whether the road version will be confirmed for production at Le Mans. The second-largest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit likes teasing, but Ford has also mastered the element of surprise.
Remember the surprise unveiling of the Shelby GT350 at the Detroit Auto Show? Joined on the stage by the GT supercar and F-150 Raptor off-road pickup truck, the Ford Motor Company wowed everyone in attendance. Ford's high-performance trio rained on Honda's parade. The Japanese automaker unleashed the NSX at the same event, yet the second-generation supercar wasn't received with open arms.
Turning our attention back to the 'Stang, which is the only car that Ford sells in the United States of America nowadays, the S650 family will eventually grow larger with the return of the Shelby GT500. The pony-turned-muscle car is probably going to feature an upgraded 5.2-liter supercharged V8. A convertible has been spotted testing only recently together with a coupe.
The wildest rumor surrounding the S650 is a go-anywhere take on the Mustang. When you think about it, why not? Porsche and Lamborghini proved this recipe with the 911 Dakar and Huracan Sterrato, so why wouldn't Ford do it as well? A center differential in combination with Ford's ten-speed automatic and 5.2-liter supercharged V8 would be superb, even more so with the addition of Fox shocks, a lift, chunky all-terrain rubber boots, and some underbody armor.
To be manufactured by Canadian outfit Multimatic instead of Ford at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, the Mustang GT3 is dressed in carbon fiber. Trick aero is also noted, and – typical for a racing car – the interior is more spartan compared to road-going ponies. There is talk of a series-production version although it remains to be seen if the GT3 will replace the Shelby GT350 in the Mustang's lineup.
It's not impossible given that Ford's long-running Mach 1 nameplate has been axed in favor of Dark Horse for the 2024 model year Mustang. A few months ago, right after the Ford Motor Company published a clip of the Mustang GT3 testing at Sebring, big kahuna Jim Farley took to Twitter to ask enthusiasts whether a road version would pique their interest.
Pretty much everyone replied yes. Considering how many dollars the Ford Motor Company is pouring into racing derivatives of the seventh-generation Mustang, a street-legal GT3 makes plenty of sense. It's hard to say whether the road version will be confirmed for production at Le Mans. The second-largest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit likes teasing, but Ford has also mastered the element of surprise.
Remember the surprise unveiling of the Shelby GT350 at the Detroit Auto Show? Joined on the stage by the GT supercar and F-150 Raptor off-road pickup truck, the Ford Motor Company wowed everyone in attendance. Ford's high-performance trio rained on Honda's parade. The Japanese automaker unleashed the NSX at the same event, yet the second-generation supercar wasn't received with open arms.
Turning our attention back to the 'Stang, which is the only car that Ford sells in the United States of America nowadays, the S650 family will eventually grow larger with the return of the Shelby GT500. The pony-turned-muscle car is probably going to feature an upgraded 5.2-liter supercharged V8. A convertible has been spotted testing only recently together with a coupe.
The wildest rumor surrounding the S650 is a go-anywhere take on the Mustang. When you think about it, why not? Porsche and Lamborghini proved this recipe with the 911 Dakar and Huracan Sterrato, so why wouldn't Ford do it as well? A center differential in combination with Ford's ten-speed automatic and 5.2-liter supercharged V8 would be superb, even more so with the addition of Fox shocks, a lift, chunky all-terrain rubber boots, and some underbody armor.
Should we make a road version? https://t.co/LxaK6AjvD6
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) March 22, 2023
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