- Ford’s new Le Mans hypercar hides a Coyote-derived V8 inside.
- Two of these hypercars will make their racing debuts next March.
- Sleek bodywork adds a towering shark fin and rear wing.
Ford is gearing up to enter the top tier of endurance racing, and after months of drip-fed teasers, it has finally put out the first images of its LMDh hypercar, captured during a recent test at Circuit Paul Ricard in France. Along with the photos comes the first chance to hear the car at full throttle, which is the part most people were waiting on anyway.
Read: Ford Fires Up Its New Le Mans Hypercar V8 That Started Life In A Mustang
Endurance racing hasn’t been as exciting as it is now for decades, and the credit goes to the manufacturers now stacking up in the LMH and LMDh categories. Not only is Ford entering the sport next year, but so too is McLaren, and, much like Cadillac, Ford is bringing with it a familiar big V8.
A Coyote Goes To Le Mans
Whereas some other LMH and LMDh cars use turbocharged six-cylinder engines, Ford’s hypercar has a 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 that traces its roots to the Coyote’s block. Working alongside this engine is a hybrid system that should help the car deliver the maximum 670 hp permitted by the championship. The 5.4-liter mill sounds exceptional and has obvious similarities to the notes of Ford’s Coyote-powered road cars like the Mustang.
As for the hypercar’s design, it’s somewhat conventional and is certainly not as wild as something like Aston Martin’s Valkyrie AMR-LMH, which the Ford will compete against. It has mostly smooth and flowing bodywork and includes large openers above the front wheels, a sleek front splitter and canards, as well as a large rear wing, diffuser, and shark fin, just as you’d expect.
Like entrants from Genesis and Alpine, the Ford will be based around an Oreca platform, and two cars will be fielded. The first of them will be driven by Tom Blomqvist, Nick Yelloly, and Matt Campbell, while the second will be piloted by Logan Sargeant, Mike Rockenfeller, and Sebastian Priaulx.
Ford’s LMDh racer is set to make its competition debut at the 1812 km (1,126-mile) of Qatar next March, the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
