Ford Mustang GT3 Ready for Le Mans Challenge with Three-Car Lineup
by AutoExpert | 18 June, 2024
Qualifying for this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford displayed all three Ford Mustangs that will compete. Their goal in participating in the GT3 class is to win Ford's prestigious endurance race in a different class than the GT, which last won in 2016 in the LMGTE Pro category.
The racing team has two Mustang GT3s in the current World Endurance Championship, with Giorgio Roda, Dennis Olsen, and Mikkel O. Pedesen operating one and Ryan Hardwick, Ben Baker, and Zacharie Robichon operating the other.
Christopher Mies, John Hartshorne, and Ben Tuck will share the No. 44 vehicle at Le Mans, the third entry in the race. After a solid Hyperpole session, the No. 77 Mustang GT3 qualified well and will start fourth in the GT3 class. Although the Mustang had its Le Mans debut in 1967, Ford didn't bring it back until 1997. Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lexus, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Porsche are among the almost two dozen other vehicles in the class that the trio of Mustang GT3s will be competing against.
A number of variants of the present GT3, which is based on the seventh-generation Mustang, have previously raced in events like Formula Drift, the Australian Supercars Championship, NASCAR, NHRA, and IMSA. The famous coupe has raced on tracks all around the globe for decades, and now it's time for Ford to showcase it in the most significant race in the world, according to Ford CEO Jim Farley.
Ford is thrilled to make a triumphant return to the world stage in what is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling races of the modern era, the company said, adding that its involvement with Le Mans dates back to the first event in 1923. The third-generation Mustang GT3 was a collaborative effort between Ford, Multimatic, and WRC partner M-Sport. The engine is a transaxle-mounted, modified 5.4-liter Coyote V8 with natural aspiration.
There are a lot of eye-catching aerodynamic components, such as a big rear wing, and all of the power goes to the back wheels. In addition to the GT3, Ford is bringing the limited-edition Mustang GTD to Le Mans to showcase it in Europe for the first time.