MotorMartin has been following the upward trajectory of the all new Ford Mustang since it debuted way back in 2015 and us U.K. fans have still not fully recovered from the fact that Ford UK finally felt that we had earned the right to a RHD model after approximately 50 years or so. We’re still extremely grateful though Ford! MotorMartin was informed recently that the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers’ had voted the Mustang, Scottish Drop Top of the year and MotorMartin isn’t surprised. It’s an amazing car.
And yet, for some, the mighty 5.0l V8 just isn’t enough and for those people Ford Performance have revealed an all-new, track-ready turnkey Mustang racecar that’s ready to compete around the globe – the Ford Mustang GT4.
Ford Performance have shared with MotorMartin that the Mustang GT4, unveiled at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, has been designed and engineered jointly by themselves and Multimatic Motorsports to compete in sports car championship racing series globally. This includes the GT4 European Series, which visits Silverstone circuit for the UK leg.
Fans of the GT4 European Series will be aware that the Mustang GT4 puts Ford head-to-head with competition from Porsche and Aston Martin among others – in a mirror of the hugely popular FIA World Endurance Championship, where the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT takes on the Aston Martin Vantage GTE, Porsche 911 RSR and Ferrari 488 GTE. It really is one of the most exciting forms of motorsport on the planet at present.
The Mustang GT4, MotorMartin has been told, is inspired by the Ford Shelby GT350R-C that won the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship just last month.
“As the Mustang nameplate continually expands its presence in markets throughout the world, so does our relevant motorsport presence,” explained David Pericak, global director of Ford Performance to MotorMartin. “The Mustang GT4 is equipped to compete and win on tracks around the globe, and we expect it to be as popular with racers as its production sibling is with consumers.”
Rather impressively, the Mustang GT4 is equipped with the next generation, naturally aspirated 5.2L V8 racing engine specifically tuned for GT4 competition. The race engine was engineered, validated and built by Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines.
Ford Performance have confirmed to MotorMartin that their GT4 has a lightweight, compact six-speed Holinger paddle shift transmission delivers proven race durability with direct-pneumatic activation for fast, positive and consistent gear shifts. The GT4 powertrain also carries a dry sump oiling system, ZF-developed twin-plate racing clutch and flywheel. This is a car that has had some extremely bright minds display their engineering prowess throughout the design of this quite awesome, high performance Mustang.
Chassis features on the Mustang GT4 include:
Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV™) dampers from Multimatic for advanced predictability, accuracy, repeatability and ultimate vehicle control
Rear lower control arms (designed specifically for coil-over springs) and front/rear stabilizer bars from Multimatic
Lightweight 18” x 11” forged alloy wheels from Forgeline
Rotors and six-piston calipers from Brembo
Aerodynamic enhancements on the Mustang GT4 include a rear wing, the design of which was derived from lessons learned by the Ford GT racing program, front splitter, hood venting, diveplanes and rear diffuser.
Fortunately, on the interior, the Mustang GT4 carries a full FIA-compliant roll cage and race-oriented dash logger from MoTeC for those that are planning to take this incredible car out onto the track.
MotorMartin loves it.
Where will you go?