The announcement at the Rolex 24 Hours of the Ford Mustang GT3 for 2024 by Ford with Multimatic was marked by a number of media colleagues publishing early either in error or, in some cases, opportunism. That didn’t stop the Ford Performance team on site from ensuring that media present got good access to some of their key decision-makers and partners to explain their exciting new programme.
First up Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports Mark Rushbrook, with a number of questions below from DSC and from Racecar Engineering Ed. Andrew Cotton about the forthcoming GT3 car, the decision from Ford on rejecting LMDH, and confirmation too that the Blue Oval will not be partnering with another OEM as an LMDH engine supplier:
Mark – can you tell us what the price point is going to be for the Mustang GT3, and how soon we’ll see customer cars alongside the IMSA factory GTD Pro cars?
“We haven’t announced the price yet but we’ll be in the spectrum of what’s out there today.
“Having the customer cars is an important part of doing this entire programme. So they’ll be available from the beginning.”
On powerplant, you had two options, you’ve gone for the big normally aspirated V8, and decided against the turbo option, what’s driven that choice?
“The Coyote has been an important engine for us, not just in the Mustang, but in other products. With the rules for GT3, and with the power levels that we need to get to felt that we needed to make the simplest solution.
“In terms of cost, weight, stability with different temperatures, a naturally aspirated V8 is the perfect engine. Why complicate it more than that? So it was a pretty easy decision to use a Coyote.”
LMDH was billed as both a factory and customer platform, but you’ve rejected that in favour of GT3. What was the reasoning behind this decision?
“I actually believe the LMDH formula is a great set of regulations. And I think it’s going to be very successful. I can’t wait to see those cars racing here. But for us, having something that is more relevant or tied to a production car is what put our decision in favour of Mustang and GT3.
“Because you start with a production body in white, you start with a Coyote production block and heads. And certainly, if you’re in LMDH, it’s not that. That doesn’t mean LMDH is wrong. It just means for us we are putting more emphasis on the direct relevance.”
Did you make the choice to go with GT3, or did you reject LMDH first, and then later, go for GT3?
“I would say timewise that we decided not to pursue LMDH first. We kept studying and we kept following it to see where things were going. So I wouldn’t say we necessarily rejected it. But we just said it’s not the right programme for us at this time.
“With our road car lineup, knowing that the Ford GT was going to go out of production, it’s easier to tie a GT to an LMDH, than it is to tie Ford or a Mustang to an LMDH. But a Mustang GT3 is a Mustang. So once everything shifted with GTLM ramping down and GT3 ramping up, then it was a pretty easy decision.”
The Ford Puma hybrid in WRC is Ford’s first hybrid race programme?
“Yes, that’s the first one.”
Hybridization is important for you. We understood that you wanted a more powerful hybrid than was being offered for LMDH?
“No, we were okay with where they ended up. But we’re also very okay with the hybrid unit that we have in WRC and all the learnings that we’ve had from that already.
“OK it’s a year and a half, two years of development and that one event so far, but we learned a lot.”
You’ve got an engine partner with M-Sport that’s working with you on the GT3 that also works on the hybridised WRC car. Is there still a potential for the brand to be involved in prototypes as an engine supplier?
“We have been approached on that but there’s nothing that we’re pursuing.” (DSC Says – McLaren are known to have had at least outline conversations on this front with Ford).
So that’s it?
“Never say never but we are not currently pursuing it.”
Beyond the factory programme in IMSA and customer sales from the start, are there any other key areas that Ford want to address in terms of the impact of Mustang in other marketplaces?
“We race Mustang in NASCAR. We race it in Australian Supercars and now we can take the same car, a Mustang GT3 and sell it or race it around the world starting with a production body in white which NASCAR and Australian Supercars don’t do.
“So for us, it’s that deeper relevance and the ability to do it in every market around the world. We sell Mustang around the world, so it makes sense to race the same car.”
Pic top: copyright Drew Gibson/ Ford
