Ford has deliberate a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle automotive subsequent yr underneath an enormous rebranding of Ford Performance geared toward bringing the automotive producer “into the racing business.”
The Friday unveil of the brand new Mustang Dark Horse-based race automotive follows Ford’s announcement in February that it’s going to return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.
The Mustang will enter the GT3 class subsequent yr with at the least two vehicles in each IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invite to subsequent yr’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries can be a manufacturing unit Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a buyer program in WEC with Proton Competition.
Ford CEO Jim Farley instructed The Associated Press the Mustang can be obtainable to compete in numerous GT3 sequence throughout the globe to buyer groups. But extra necessary, Farley stated, is the general rebranding of Ford Performance – performed by famend motorsports designer Troy Lee – that’s geared toward making Ford a life-style model with a sporting mindset.
“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley instructed the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”
Ford final competed in sports automotive racing in 2019 as a part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The staff scored the category win at Le Mans in 2016 in a focused efficiency aimed to rejoice the fiftieth anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year successful streak.
Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that can quickly be featured on all its racing autos. The conventional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering beneath will now be branded merely FP.
The new mark can be used throughout automotive liveries, merchandise and attire, show property, components and equipment and in promoting.
Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has efficiently found out tips on how to promote vehicles to customers and race vehicles in numerous sequence all over the world whereas making a tradition of name fanatics. He believes Ford’s new route will assist the corporate promote road vehicles, race vehicles, enhance curiosity in driving faculties, and create a merchandise line that convinces customers {that a} stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool model.
“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley instructed the AP, including that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”
He lauded the work of Lee, who is taken into account the highest helmet designer amongst race automotive drivers.
“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley stated. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”
He stated he’s stored a detailed eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have constructed their motorsports companies and stated Ford can be higher.
“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley stated. “Second is the first loser.”
Farley, an avid newbie racer himself, didn’t journey to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday options an entry from NASCAR and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.
The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being broadly celebrated all through the trade. Farley did really feel omitted of the celebration in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to keep away from by inviting lots of its companions to attend the race in order that it wouldn’t appear to be a Chevrolet-only celebration.
“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley stated. “We received Le Mans outright 4 instances, we received within the GT class, and we’re coming again with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.
“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”
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