5 Reasons to Be Excited About the 2024 Mustang GT3

The Mustang GT3 marks Ford’s return to global sports car racing. Though we know very little about it, this is an exciting announcement for 5 key reasons.

1. The Mustang’s Participating in Global Sports Car Racing

The Mustang debuted in 1964.5, as part of Lee Iacocca’s initiative to take Ford racing. Another side of that initiative was the creation of the Ford GT, a sports car designed for challenges like Le Mans.

The rest of the story pulls in characters like Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. And it’s a good story. There have been books. There was a movie. The conclusion of the 1966 Le Mans race remains a subject of discussion decades later.

Ford dominated sports car racing for years. Many of the innovations that made the race-ready vehicles competitive trickled into the cars available to the general public. But oh yeah…

2. You’ll Be Able to Buy It

Ford’s making the GT3 available to the general public the same year it debuts on the race track. Like the Cobra Rs often did, you’ll need a valid race license (at least at first) but there’s plenty of time to update your paperwork if you need to.

Let’s be real, if you’re bringing one of these home you’ll also want to book some track time, so it’s probably a good idea anyway.

3. The GT3 Is Naturally-Aspirated

Forced induction is amazing. With a supercharger or turbocharger, you can get a ton of horsepower more easily. But there’s just something about the sound of a naturally-aspirated engine that appeals to most Mustang enthusiasts.

The GT3 is going to be powered by a 5.0L naturally-aspirated Coyote engine. Though the engine architecture is going to be based on the Coyote we know and love, this will be a totally new iteration. Because it’s a GT3 vehicle, the horsepower will be between 500-600 hp.

4. Multimatic Motorsports and Joey Hand Are Involved

If you’re strictly a Mustang fan and haven’t been keeping up with Ford racing, here’s a brief overview. Ford has collaborated with Multimatic Motorsports for a few performance programs. Most notably, they’ve contributed to the racing success of the GT, Bronco, and Puma. These are three very different vehicles involved in very different motorsports programs, which illustrates Multimatic’s, and Ford’s, performance versatility.

Multimatic has also been in charge of the Mustang GT4 program, so they have Mustang experience.

Joey Hand will also be involved in development. Hand was part of Ford’s winning-GT team, and has been a successful driver for a long time. As a test and development driver, he’ll be able to help shape this new Mustang. An opportunity he seems excited for.

5. What This Means for the S650

Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance’s global director, said that “The Mustang was born to race from the start.”¹ It’s definitely true that the Mustang’s design and performance excel in years where Ford invests in their motorsports. Shelby, Boss, and Cobra Mustangs were all developed in part because Ford wanted success on the track. And the features that contribute to success on the track also helped the Mustang succeed on the street.

Considering we’re on the brink of a new Mustang generation, this is exciting news for the S650’s development as well.

Other than these facts, we know very little else about the GT3 Mustang. It’s expected to debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 (held at the end of January).

Another exciting detail is that the GT3 program is going to exist in addition to, not in place of, the current GT4 program. A new GT4 Mustang will be available at the start of the S650 generation as well.

We’ll keep updating this page as we discover more about the GT3. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop!

Sources: Ford Performance to Develop Mustang GT3 Race Car to Compete Globally, Ford Media | Competition/ Track Vehicles, Multimatic