How Ford’s newest sports car entry could save the Mustang

A surprising new motorsport hero that could help save gas Ford Mustang from extinction.

The latest racing version of the Mustang, called the GT3, is getting ready to race around the globe in a program centered around the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024.

The Mustang GT3 will also compete in Australia from 2025, in a completely separate program from the Blue Oval brand’s participation in the Supercar race.

The key to the GT3 program was that, instead of costing Ford money from the marketing budget, it would become a profit center.

Hundreds of Mustang GT3 racers will be built over the life of the model, all of them sold to private teams, and the halo effect may be similar to the racing connection that has kept Porsche 911 alive and growing.

Porsche is one of the most successful brands in GT3 racing, but racers on the road also include cars from Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini and McLaren.

“This really brings Mustang to the world. It speaks to the world about our commitment, as we are pursuing all these amazing electric vehicles, which is important to us as a company, and to the world, remains. room for internal combustion engines and sports coupes,” said Ford Performance global head Mark Rushbrook auto expert.

“Having a seventh-generation Mustang in the race gives us a great long haul in the road car. It also gives us long runways with racing cars.

“GT3 (racing) is a global genre. It is in Europe and Southeast Asia and the ‘states’.

Mr Rushbrook draws direct link between racing Mustang and keep the pattern alive, even if Mustang Mach-E began promoting a range of battery-powered models that could be sold under the Mustang sub-brand.

“It is important that, as we offer a full range of Mustang street cars, we also offer a full range of Mustang racing cars,” he said.

“And to have that opportunity to tell the story of the road coupes that have raced.

“So people will still have their Mustangs on the road and they will be able to go to the racetrack and watch them race, or race themselves. There are a lot of people who want to do that.”

The first Ford Mustang to compete with a seventh-generation body, coming to Australian showrooms soon, is the Supercars race car currently going up against a competing version of the car. chevrolet camaro.

But those are custom-built race cars with sleek bodywork to mirror the road cars of Ford and Chevrolet.

The Mustang GT3 has a much more radical look, but is built from road car basics with a Coyote V8 engine.

The same is true of the Mustang GT4 – which will have fewer modifications – which will follow the GT3 racer.

“Racing cars start with the same white body as the production car. There are obviously modifications… to get the correct structure and optimized suspension,” he said.

Mr. Rushbrook said the Mustang GT3 was much more radical than its Supercar rival and described it as the most advanced Mustang ever.

“Absolutely. By one factor. I’m just looking at it, compared to a Supercar, and it’s from another planet,” he said.

Mr. Rushbrook could not know the financial details of the Mustang GT3, the price or the number of vehicles that will be built in partnership with British companies Multimatic (body) or M-Sport (engine), but he is very lost. about the program.

“We have a lot of interest. There are people in Australia. And also for the Mustang GT4,” he said.

“There is a lot of interest around the world for these cars. When we first said we were going to do this, which was in January 2022 – and also with (template) Dark Horse being included – there was a lot of interest.”

THAN: Ford Mustang