New Mustang GT3 heralds Ford’s return to Le Mans

Wider, lower and with more aggressive aero, the GT3 class has stepped up a notch for 2023 onwards and its Le Mans debut in place of GTE and the new Mustang GT3 is no different. There’s a large lower inlet at the front with the nasal grille reduced in size compared to the road car. There’s a substantial splitter, engorged vented arches and enormous cut-outs in the bonnet. Moving rearward the skirts and arches billow out from the rear wheels, into a monster diffuser, while a huge swan neck wing hinges beside the rear window. The new Mustang GT3 will be powered by a 5.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine.

The car is being developed in conjunction with Multimatic, the Canadian racing outfit with which the Blue Oval collaborated on the GT supercar and GTE racer. The engine meanwhile is being developed by Ford Performance and will be built by M-Sport, with which the marque collaborates on its rally programme.

If anyone doubted the new Mustang GT3 was going to be serious, there’s no doubting it now. Ford has big ambitions for the Mustang GT3 as a profit maker, with designs on an expansive customer programme. A factory effort is a given in IMSA and WEC but in those disciplines and beyond, Ford wants the GT3 to sell. You can expect to see the new Mustang GT3 on the grid at Le Mans, throughout the WEC and IMSA, in 2024.