Ford GT to race Le Mans

Surprise surprise, Ford's GT will race at Le Mans next year in celebration of the GT40's 1-2-3 victory

Well, it didn't take huge powers of deduction did it. When an email landed earlier in the week from Ford Performance tipping us off there would be "significant news" on Friday all eyes looked to the GT, Le Mans and the fact 2016 will be the 50th anniversary of the GT40's 1-2-3 win in 1966. And sure enough Ford has confirmed that the GT will compete in next year's race in the GTE Pro category. No LMP1 or chance of overall victory? No, and you can rationalise the decision on many levels.

And we thought it looked good as a road car!

First there's the cost of developing a ground-up LMP1 car that - at best - would only make passing visual reference to the GT and its associations with the GT40. If Ford wants to demonstrate the road car's prowess it needs to do that against its peers, the idea of a race-prepped GT battling Aston Martins, Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes and the like one that will very much appeal to the popular vote of Le Mans spectators.

The more pragmatic reason is that it stands a better chance of doing the GT40 history justice based on the fact the car's 3.5-litre Ecoboost V6 engine is a proven winner in Stateside endurance racing in the Tudor United Sportscar Championship. The GT will be a factory entry, 'operated' by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates - or CGRFS in its abbreviated form - and hoping to build on the victories scored by this partnership since it first competed in 2014. Since then Ecoboost powered CGRFS entries have won overall victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Rolex 24 at Daytona and more.

Entering a new car into a race like Le Mans always brings challenges but the knowledge the powertrain is reliable and competitive takes a good deal of the stress out of it.

Car is all-new but engine is race proven

"We've won races and championships, but we've never run Le Mans," team owner Chip Ganassi is quoted as saying in the press release announcing the entry. "When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world's biggest sports car stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that? Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn't be with a better partner than Ford."

For Ford's part product development head Raj Nair is clear motorsport was always part of the GT's remit. "From the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing. We believe the Ford GT's advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and Ecoboost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage."

Supporting the race car's development are Roush Yates (engine), Multimatic Motorsports and many more big name suppliers. Suffice to say, this is about more than doing a few parade laps...

To that end the car will make its racing debut next January in the Daytona 24-hour before taking part in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and Tudor United Sportscar Championship. On looks alone the GT stunned as a motor show star, looks mean as a test mule and combines both into one superb looking race car. Seeing it on a world stage racing against Ferraris, Astons and Porsches? Better still.

Watch the video here.