Ford revealed Thursday the first of six race cars based on the newly revealed 2024 Mustang, destined to compete in Australia's GT Supercars series. The car made its first public appearance at Bathurst ahead of the 1000, with three-time winner Dick Johnson behind the wheel.
This GT Supercar-bound Mustang is one of the six racing variants shown the day of the 2024 Mustang's reveal in September, though those images were computer-generated, according to Ford. The racer shares much of its body design with the road car, with what looks to be an identical roofline and hood shape.
Ford hasn't revealed many technical details on its Australian Supercars competitor, likely to keep competition guessing. It does reveal, however, that the V-8 under the hood is a 600-plus horsepower V-8 based on the production Coyote engine.
“It is fantastic to be able to show, for the very first time globally, the seventh-generation Mustang in racing form,” Ford Performance boss Mark Rushbrook said in a statement. “The reveal of the Mustang Supercar is the first of many, with Mustang to race in GT3, GT4, NASCAR and NHRA competition globally."
Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
- The new 2024 Ford Mustang will be honed for track driving with two special versions of the Dark Horse.
- The Dark Horse S gets a roll cage, race seats, an adjustable rear wing, and a revised suspension, while the Dark Horse R takes things further with a fuel cell, a stiffer body, and unique wheels.
- Ford will also launch versions of the Mustang to compete in GT3 and GT4 sports car racing, as well as the NASCAR Cup series, Australian Supercars, and NHRA.
The new 2024 Ford Mustang debuted yesterday with a new performance variant called the Dark Horse, which brings a 500-horsepower version of the 5.0-liter V-8, a menacing design, and optional carbon fiber wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS
tires. While this new model sounds plenty capable, Ford has also announced that the new Mustang will spawn several track-only versions, with some dedicated to weekend racers and others destined to be piloted by professionals in some of the world’s top racing series.
The Dark Horse will directly spawn two track cars, the Dark Horse S and Dark Horse R, neither of which will be street-legal. The S sees all non-essential trim and components ripped out, with the interior instead decked out with a FIA-certified roll cage, safety nets, a race seat, and a racing steering wheel with a quick-disconnect system. There will also be a fire suppression system, as well as a pit speed limiter and a data collection system.
A passenger's seat is optional, while the exterior adds hood pins, front and rear tow hooks, and an adjustable rear wing. A new exhaust system should also provide auditory delight, while upgraded brakes and Multimatic DSSV dampers should help the Dark Horse S scythe its way around a track. The Dark Horse R is even more racing-focused, with a fuel cell to boost range, special Ford Performance Parts wheels, and strategic seam welding to make the body of the car stiffer.
Along with the Dark Horse track cars, Ford will enter several racing series with the new Mustang. A factory-backed Mustang GT3 race car will be available for customers and eligible to start competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2024 at the 24 Hours of Daytona. The GT3 car will use a 5.4-liter V-8 derived from the Coyote engine in the street car. Ford will also offer a lower-spec GT4 car that will be eligible for IMSA, SRO, and the FIA GT series. Ford will also launch a new version of the Mustang in the Australia Supercars series next year, and redesigned Mustangs will appear in the NASCAR Cup series and NHRA Factory X class.
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Ford's Mustang in recent generations has been making the transition from boulevard cruiser to bona fide sports car, and the seventh-generation 'Stang revealed on Wednesday at the 2022 Detroit auto show looks set to finally cement this with an extensive racing program that will include a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The new Mustang is set to compete across a wide spectrum of racing series, including NASCAR, IMSA SportsCar Championship, and Australia's Supercars series, as well as in various GT3 and GT4 competitions around the globe. With confirmation the Mustang will race at Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship can be added to that list. Le Mans is the premier event on the WEC calendar, similar to the 24 Hours of Daytona on the SportsCar Championship calendar, and has seen a Mustang compete in 1967 and 1997.
A new Mustang GT3 is being developed and will be eligible to compete in the WEC's GT classes as soon as 2024, so the Mustang won't be chasing outright victory in the Hypercar class. The Mustang GT3 will also be the basis for the race cars competing in the GT classes of the SportsCar Championship. This means it will compete against race cars based on the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, and Porsche 911.
7th-generation Ford Mustang race car family
Ford hasn't said whether it plans to field cars directly at Le Mans, or whether it will partner with a race team, similar to its partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing for the GT supercar's successful run at Le Mans in recent years. It will run a factory team fielding two of the Mustang GT3s in the SportsCar Championship's GTD Pro class.
Ford also plans to offer the Mustang GT3 to customer teams, meaning it could compete in other GT3 competitions around the globe.
The race car is being developed in partnership with Multimatic, the Canadian motorsports and engineering company that builds the GT for Ford, as well as the more recent Bronco DR racer. It will run a unique version of the familiar 5.0-liter V-8. The engine is being developed by Ford Performance and will be supplied by M-Sport, the British motorsport and engineering company responsible for recent Ford rally cars, including the Ford Puma-based car competing in the 2022 World Rally Championship.
2024 Ford Mustang GT3 race car
The Mustang GT3 will also feature an unequal-length double-wishbone suspension front and rear, a rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, carbon-fiber body panels, and of course an aero package developed to meet GT3 rules.
Joey Hand, one of the class-winning drivers in Ford's 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign, will serve as a test and development driver for the program, alongside his current NASCAR duties.
The Mustang GT3 isn't the only new Mustang racer in the works. Ford has also announced a Mustang Dark Horse R that could potentially compete in a new one-make series.