How Ford’s newest motorsport entry might save the Mustang

A shocking new motorsport hero might assist save the petrol-powered Ford Mustang from extinction.

The most recent racing model of the Mustang, referred to as the GT3, is being readied to race throughout the globe in a program that can be focussed on the Le Mans 24-Hour race in 2024.

The Mustang GT3 will even compete in Australia from 2025, in a program completely separate from the Blue Oval model’s involvement in Supercars racing.

The important thing to the GT3 program is that, as a substitute of costing Ford cash from its advertising and marketing finances, it would change into a revenue centre.

Tons of of Mustang GT3 racers can be constructed over the lifetime of the mannequin, all of them offered to non-public groups, and the halo impact could possibly be much like the racing connection that has saved the Porsche 911 alive and thriving.

Porsche is likely one of the most profitable manufacturers in GT3 racing, however the road-based racers additionally embody automobiles from Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini and McLaren.

“This actually does take Mustang world. It’s telling the world our dedication, as we’re pursuing all these cool electrical autos that are vital for us as an organization and for the world, there’s nonetheless additionally a spot for inside combustion engines and sports activities coupes,” the worldwide head of Ford Efficiency, Mark Rushbrook, informed CarExpert.

“Having the seventh-generation Mustang in racing provides us a pleasant lengthy runway on the street automotive. It provides us that very same lengthy runway with race automobiles as effectively.

“GT3 (racing) is a world class. It’s in Europe and South-East Asia and the ’states.”

Mr Rushbrook attracts a direct connection between racing the Mustang and maintaining the mannequin alive, even because the Mustang Mach-E begins the push for a variety of battery-electric fashions that could possibly be offered underneath the Mustang sub-brand.

“It will be important, as we provide a full ladder of Mustang street automobiles, to supply the identical full ladder of Mustang race automobiles,” he stated.

“And to have that chance to inform the story of street coupes that race.

“So folks will nonetheless have Mustangs on the street and so they’ll have the ability to go to the racetrack and see them race, or race themselves. There’s lots of people that wish to try this.”

The primary Ford Mustang to compete with the seventh-generation bodywork, coming to Australian showrooms quickly, was the Supercars racer that now goes head-to-head with the competitors model of the Chevrolet Camaro.

However these are custom-built race automobiles with silhouette bodywork to reflect the Ford and Chevrolet street automobiles.

The Mustang GT3 has a way more radical look, however is constructed from the fundamentals of the street automotive with its Coyote V8 engine.

The identical can be true of the Mustang GT4 – which may have fewer modifications – that can comply with the GT3 racer.

“The race automotive begins as a body-in-white just like the manufacturing automotive. There are clearly modifications … with a view to get the precise construction and optimised suspension,” he stated.

Mr Rushbrook stated the Mustang GT3 is way extra radical than the Supercars contender, and describes it because the most-advanced Mustang but.

“Completely. By an element. I’m simply it, in comparison with a Supercar, and it’s from a distinct planet,” he stated.

Mr Rushbrook can not get into the monetary particulars of the Mustang GT3, both the worth or the variety of automobiles that can be in-built a partnership with British corporations Multimatic (our bodies) or M-Sport (engines), however he’s bullish about this system.

“We’ve got numerous curiosity. There are folks in Australia. And in addition for the Mustang GT4,” he stated.

“There’s numerous curiosity all over the world for these automobiles. After we first stated we had been going to do that, which was January of 2022 – and likewise with the Darkish Horse (mannequin) thrown in – there’s numerous curiosity.”

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