Ford confirms Le Mans return in 2016 with new GT

What will be racing at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans will be a race version of the new Ford GT ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year. Unveiled at the famous circuit on June 12, the Ford GT will compete in the Le Mans GT Endurance class for professional teams and drivers (LM GTE Pro).


GT History
Both the production car and race car will arrive in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The original GT was created to beat Ferrari at the endurance event after Enzo Ferrari famously snubbed Henry Ford II's efforts to buy the Italian marque. The first couple of attempts with the GT, in '64 and '65, didn't end well, with all of the Ford entries failing to finish. However, it all came together in 1966. After that win, Ford went on to repeat its victory in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

Back then, the GTs were powered by 427ci (7.0-litre) naturally-aspirated V8s, developed with assistance from Carroll Shelby. The 2016 powerplant is a whole different animal though (see below).

"When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing's most legendary manufacturers," said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. "We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today."


More than Le Mans
In addition to competing in the full 2016 schedule of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the GT racer will also race in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in the US, making its competition debut next January in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Florida. Two Ford teams are entered for that event, operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS). Both series teams intend to compete with a four-car effort at Le Mans. Drivers will be announced later.

Ford says the all-new GT is the pinnacle product of the new 'Ford Performance' group, a division dedicated to providing innovation through performance.

Set to deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles by 2020, Ford Performance will leverage its racing efforts and expertise to speed innovations on dedicated performance models and performance parts in order to more quickly iterate the latest technologies that can ultimately be applied to the full Ford vehicle lineup.

The performance segment is a growing business for Ford, as the company recognizes customer demand for vehicles that offer excellent fuel economy, leading technology and a great driving experience. The Ford Performance lineup currently includes the new GT, Focus RS, F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST.

"Ford remains focused on three priorities globally - accelerating our One Ford plan, delivering product excellence with passion and driving innovation in every part of our business," said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. "All three came together to create the new Ford GT. We also know from our rich history in motorsports that world-class competition is a great incubator for even further product innovation."


Innovation and Assistance
The Ford GT race car features a number of innovations Ford believes will not only make it competitive in LM GTE Pro, but ultimately positioned to provide benefits to each vehicle in the Ford lineup. These include state-of-the-art aerodynamics to deliver outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag, advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fibre for an exceptionally rigid but light chassis, and the power and efficiency of EcoBoost technology.

Joining Ford in this project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, Brembo and CGRFS. The race car has undergone extensive design and testing within Ford and Multimatic, with CGRFS providing input into the development. Roush Yates is supporting development of the 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 - the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever.

The 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine debuted in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014. Since then, Ford, with CGRFS, has scored wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 At Daytona. Ganassi race teams achieved major victories with the same engine in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500.

"We've won races and championships, but we've never run Le Mans," said team owner Chip Ganassi. "When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world's biggest sports car stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that? Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn't be with a better partner than Ford."


Predictions
So, will Ford be able to win its class at Le Mans in 2016? History suggests a first-up victory is unlikely, as "debut" entrants rarely win, McLaren's F1 being a notable exception. Usually, it takes a couple of seasons of development and good old fashioned trial-and-error to achieve victory. But the EcoBoost V6 has been running in competition for more than a year, so that element of the GT race package at least, should be reliable.