• The Ford Mustang GT4 debuted on the 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, with the entry-level race automobile slotting under the GT3 that can compete at Le Mans subsequent yr.
• The GT4 is a dialed again versus the GT3, however it’s nonetheless an excessive monitor automobile with a ginormous rear wing, a stripped-down inside, and a light-weight physique.
• Co-developed with Multimatic, the GT4 packs a V-8 based mostly on the Coyote 5.0-liter obtainable within the manufacturing unit Ford Mustang.

The seventh-generation Ford Mustang has motorsports in its blood. When Ford first revealed the 2024 Mustang, it additionally teased a collection of race automobiles based mostly on the V-8-powered muscle automobile—from the Darkish Horse R monitor toy to an NHRA drag racer. Now, Ford has totally taken the wraps off the Mustang GT4 on the 24 Hours of Spa, which can function the entry-level automobile for drivers seeking to hone their craft in wheel-to-wheel competitors.

The reveal of the GT4 comes shortly after the unveiling of the Mustang GT3 earlier this month. The GT4 sports activities a equally vivid orange, purple, and purple livery plastered with the brand new, simplified Ford Efficiency brand, a glance additionally echoed on the SuperVan 4.2 that not too long ago competed on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Primarily based on the road-going Darkish Horse, the GT4 slots between the Darkish Horse R (which will probably be totally revealed quickly) and the GT3 within the Ford motorsports lineup. GT4 automobiles produce much less energy and fewer downforce than the GT3 class.

The automobile qualifies for the SRO-sanctioned GT4 class, which incorporates GT4-specific collection in Europe and America in addition to eligibility for blended GT3 and GT4 fields in leagues just like the British GT Championship. The GT3, in the meantime, can run in additional prestigious collection just like the World Endurance Championship, the place Ford will enter the GT3 into the 24 Hours of Le Mans subsequent yr. Whereas the GT3 will probably be run by a factory-backed workforce in IMSA’s GTD Professional class, the GT4 automobile is solely for buyer groups. Ford first entered GT4 racing with the Mustang in 2017.

Ford carefully labored with Canadian engineering consultants Multimatic—chargeable for assembling the latest Ford GT and growing many special-edition Aston Martins just like the Valkyrie—on the GT4. Below the hood lies a Coyote-based V-8 that has been tuned for motorsport and was developed in-house by Ford Efficiency. It’s going to even be constructed by Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, however Ford did not present every other engine specifics.

The GT4 packs Multimatic spool-valve dampers and sheds weight due to bodywork constructed from pure fibers. Shifting is dealt with by a Holinger dog-ring gearbox with paddle shifters with pneumatic actuation, whereas the aerodynamics are specifically designed for the GT4 class. The GT4 nonetheless options a big rear wing sprouting from the trunk lid, however the diffuser is way extra tame than on the GT3, and there are fewer vents carved into the narrower fenders. The cabin is similar to the GT3, stripped all the way down to the naked necessities with Recaro racing seats to maintain the driving force good and comfortable.

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Caleb Miller started running a blog about automobiles at 13 years previous, and he realized his dream of writing for a automobile journal after graduating from Carnegie Mellon College and becoming a member of the Automotive and Driver workforce. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to at some point personal one thing weird like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.