Ford Hypercar Fires Up For The First Time

• Ford states that development remains on track for its WEC hypercar to make its debut in the 2027 racing season.
• The prototype will compete in the LMDh class, alongside Aston Martin, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis, Ferrari, and others.
• Ford’s hypercar features hybrid power, using a 5.4-liter engine based on the Coyote V8.

Ford Racing has a looming date with motorsport destiny. The team remains hard at work developing a new race car, with the goal of battling for glory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Getting the powertrain dialed in serves as a crucial step in delivering a proper race car. Ford just took a major move toward hitting that milestone by firing up the car’s V8 engine for the first time.

The 5.4-liter V8 is based on the familiar Coyote engine and should deliver potent power as part of the hybrid powertrain. It will also sound amazing. Take a listen:

We wish Ford had stuck a bit more meat on this somewhat overproduced bone, but there’s no denying that the mill should make quite the proper racket. 

Ford says the next steps involve on-track testing in Europe as well as more sim-based testing with its driver roster. After Europe, Ford Racing will relocate testing to the States before the team packs up and heads up for a full season of the WEC calendar.

The goal, no doubt, remains a top podium spot at Le Mans. But Ford likely wants to win all season long, as well. That’s a tall task for any team, but Ford Racing appears poised to put up a good fight.

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Motor1’s Take: An overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans remains the top prize in motorsport for lots of folks out there. Endurance racing is incredibly difficult on drivers, cars, teams, engineers, and everyone involved in getting a given car to the starting grid. A first-year car can be expected to have teething problems, but an Oreca-supplied chassis and a Coyote-derived V8 should make for an entertaining season nonetheless.

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