Race Against Time Has Already Started for the Ford Mustang GT3, Docuseries Shows

Before that happens, we get full behind-the-scenes access to see the manner in which Ford is testing the car for the upcoming season in the 'Mustang Endurance' documentary. The series shows the hard work the team carries out to put the car on the grid on January 27 at the Daytona International Speedway.

Behind all the glory that racing brings, behind all the fame, most of the time spent at the racetrack testing, it is too cold, too hot, too long, or unfair. That is what endurance racing is about. But it is a 'go big or stay home' kind of affair. And Ford chose the hard way. There was no way they would stay at home. Not when they have the Mustang in their stable.

The Mustang GT3 had to face the excruciating heat of Barcelona, but also the tormenting rain of Sebring, it went from the North of England to the North of the United States. All kinds of weather, tarmac, track, you name it, it already tested it. Time is ticking for the car that will start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

Key players such as drivers and engineers, designers and engine makers will show up in the five-part documentary that will premiere on December 15.

The Ford team is depicted as a runner that prepares for a marathon, with a focus on training the body, which would actually be the chassis and aerodynamics, but also the heart, which would be the engine, and the mind, the people working on every aspect of the car. This runner's first marathon is the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

But the testing stage is not just a walk in the park and, five weeks away from the race itself, the race against the clock has already started before the 24-hour stopwatch even starts to count.

The Ford Mustang celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024. The participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona is the best way to mark the occasion, says Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports.

The Ford Mustang is a veteran of racing, with so many variants involved in various competitions. Right now, the Ford Performance lineup includes the Ford GT, the Ford GT Mk IV, the Mustang GTD, the Mustang GT3 and GT4, the Dark Horse and Mach 1, and the Shelby family. The Ford F-150 Raptor and Raptor R, the Bronco Raptor and Raptor R, plus the race Raptor also come with racing DNA, and so does the ST family: the Puma, Explorer, Edge, Focus, and Fiesta.

Based on the Mustang Dark Horse, the track-only Mustang GT3 is powered by the naturally aspirated 5.4-liter engine developed by Ford Performance in collaboration with M-Sport. The category it races in allows a maximum output of 600 horsepower. So it is safe to assume that the GT3's V8 is tuned to go that far. You can’t take the GT3 to the road, but Ford came up with something more.

The most potent street-legal Mustang that FoMoCo ever rolled out is the GTD with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 that generates 800 horsepower. That's something that won't make you jealous of the GT3 pro drivers. But one thing is for sure: you can’t take the GTD endurance racing.