Say what you will about Ford and how they’re just along for the ride as far as their new F1 partnership with Red Bull is concerned. Truth is, the Blue Oval is no stranger to winning titles, regardless of who they’re going up against. Today, we welcome a new player in the GT3 category and as you can see, it’s based on the latest-generation Mustang.
It’s actually a Mustang Dark Horse, to be precise, featuring a special racing livery and Ford Performance logo courtesy of renowned motorsport designer Troy Lee.
Visually, the livery is properly colorful and represents Lee’s first attempt at a Ford race car. Meanwhile, the new Ford Performance branding is also visible and will now be featured on all the carmaker’s future race cars going forward.
On the technical side, Ford Performance continues its partnership with both Multimatic and M-Sport. The former was also involved in the Ford GT race program and will help build these new Mustang GT3 models, whereas M-Sport will be tasked with assembling the custom 5.4-liter Coyote-based V8 power unit that’s meant to spearhead this pony to glory.
Other technical highlights found on the Mustang GT3 race car include its bespoke short-long arm suspension, rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, carbon fiber body panels, and the GT-specific aero package – you can tell that the engineers had one important thing in mind, downforce.
When can I see it?
The new Mustang GT3 is set to compete in various GT3 series worldwide as customer teams begin putting in their orders. First in line is Proton Competiton (a German-based outfit), which intends to run a pair of these things in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Next year is also when we’ll see Ford Performance themselves tackle IMSA’s GTD Pro class with two GT3 models, under the guidance of Multimatic Motorsports and starting with the 2024 Rolex 24 race at Daytona.
Photo: Ford
Speaking of 24-hour events, the Mustang GT3 will of course participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, come June of next year. Ford’s most recent success in this world-famous event took place back in 2016, with the Ford GT finding itself in stellar form.
“Ford and Le Mans are bound together by history,” stated company CEO Jim Farley. “And now we’re coming back to the most dramatic, most rewarding and most important race in the world.”
By the way, this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race is set to take place imminently on June 10 and 11, marking the event’s centenary. The first ever 24 Hours of Le Mans was held in 1923, with a total of 20 different manufacturers throwing their hats in the ring. As far as Ford is concerned, we all know the story by now – the GT40 Mk II smashed Ferrari’s winning streak at Le Mans in the mid-60s.
Come next year, we look forward to seeing how much of a “Dark Horse” this Mustang GT3 really is.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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