Confirmed: Ford to build new sports car, race it at Le Mans in 2016

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KaiserM715

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Confirmed: Ford to build new sports car, race it at Le Mans in 2016 | News | Motorsport.com

By: Steven Cole Smith, News manager, Motorsport.com Posted: 1 hour ago
Autoweek.com reports Ganassi Racing to field Le Mans effort, and two-car TUDOR Championship team.

Autoweek.com has confirmed what Motorsport.com reported last Tuesday: Ford will build a new sports car that debuts next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

And Ford and Chip Ganassi's team will race the car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the company's podium sweep of the race in 1966 with the Ford GT40.

Autoweek.com wasn't able to confirm whether the new car will be called a GT40, or even the Ford GT, which was the name of the 2004 and 2005 model Ford sold commemorating the company's 100th birthday. But the story did say the new car won't be a "retro" throwback like the 2004 model was.

The story also didn't confirm the powertrain -- expected to be a V-8 or more likely a twin-turbo Ecoboost V-6 like the current Ganassi entry in the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship runs in the Daytona Prototype class.
Chip Ganassi Racing is expected to field a two-car GT-Le Mans entry for the entire TUSC season in 2016 as well as the Le Mans effort, with Scott Pruett and new team driver Joey Hand in the lead car.

The race car should debut on track at the 2016 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. The drivers of the other team car aren't known, but could be sourced indirectly from Multimatic, the Canadian company that is apparently leading the development of the new race car. There is also speculation that the car could be homologated later as a GT3, making it appealing to potential Ford Racing customers.

Ford has a press conference scheduled for Monday, January 12 at the Detroit show, and the FIA's World Endurance Championship has a press conference scheduled for the following day.


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This is awesome news.
 

SilentShooter

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I am just afraid that its going to be priced way higher than the GT was and as such be more than I can afford to spend on a car. I need to go buy lotto tickets. Maybe this will start lowering prices on the GT as its the only modern domestic car I know of that keeps going up in price.
 

Raptor Embroidery

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I must say that the GT40 is a beautiful car. In my opinion, the best looking car ever made. Glad to see Ford is going to commemorate the historic Le Mans finish of the GT40. I absolutely love that story.

Thanks for sharing the article!
 

beachz

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Hmmmm... my brother crews for the Skyactive Mazda team. I was very fortunate to be invited to crew the 24 Hours of Daytona in the past. Definitely one of the coolest things I have ever gotten to do!!! I have been talking about going down to crew again but just haven't made it happen. Maybe I should shoot for 2016. Seeing the new Ford car debut would be a cool bonus!!!



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WyoStorm

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The fords are doing OK now. The race is very entertaining.

Nope they're still way, way back. 67 GT is 45th 25 laps back and the 66 GT is 48th and 38 laps back (but subtract 5 laps for the GTLM class).

The prototype ecos are 3rd and 7th.
 
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