- The pony car is racing supercars from Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche.
- Porton Competition has entered a trio of Mustang GT3s into the racing world’s most famous endurance event.
- Powering the car is a bespoke 5.4-liter Coyote V8.
For just the third time in history, the Ford Mustang will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and as qualifying got underway ahead of this weekend’s race, the three entrants were showcased. They are competing in the GT3 class and aim to secure Ford’s first class win at the famous endurance race since the GT won the LMGTE Pro category in 2016.
All three cars have been entered by Proton Competition. The racing outfit already runs two Mustang GT3s in the ongoing World Endurance Championship with its No.77 car driven by Ryan Hardwick, Ben Baker, and Zacharie Robichon, while the No.88 is driven by Giorgio Roda, Dennis Olsen, and Mikkel O. Pedesen. The third car competing at Le Mans is the No.44 to be shared by Christopher Mies, John Hartshorne, and Ben Tuck.
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The car’s performed well in qualifying, and the No.77 Mustang GT3 will start fourth in the GT3 class after a strong Hyperpole session.
Ford first raced the Mustang at Le Mans in 1967 but didn’t return until 1997. The trio of Mustang GT3s will be doing battle with nearly two dozens other cars in the class, including cars from Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lexus, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Porsche. The current GT3 is based around the seventh-generation Mustang and derivatives of it have already competed in NASCAR, NHRA, IMSA, Formula Drift, and Australia’s Supercars championship.
“The Ford Mustang has raced in circuits across the world for decades, and now is the time for us to race our iconic coupe at the most important race in the world,” Ford chief executive Jim Farley said. “Ford has a rich history at Le Mans dating back to the first race in 1923 and we are excited to return to the global stage in what promises to be one of the most exciting races of the modern era.”
Ford worked with Multimatic and WRC partner M-Sport to develop and build the Mustang GT3. It’s driven by a modified 5.4-liter naturally-aspirated Coyote V8 mated to a transaxle at the rear. Power is sent exclusively through the rear wheels and the bodywork is adorned with plenty of dramatic aerodynamic parts, including a large rear wing.
The GT3 isn’t the only Mustang at Le Mans, as Ford has also brought along the limited-run Mustang GTD, showcasing it in Europe for the first time.
