Ford Unveils GT Race Car

Ford Motor Co. will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France next year with a race car version of its upcoming GT supercar.

Both vehicles will be launched in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford finishing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford also won the prestigious race the following three years through 1969.

The 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans will be held this weekend. Audi cars finished first and second last year, followed by a Toyota team.

Ford plans to run its GT racer in all FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship events next year, starting with January's Rolex 24 in Daytona, Fla.

At Le Mans, two Ford teams will compete in the GT Pro class the highest for production-based models competing against cars from Aston Martin, Audi, Chevrolet, Ferrari and Porsche. Both Ford teams will be operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with four cars each. Supplier partners include Brembo, Castrol, CGRFS, Forza Motorsport, Michelin, Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines and Sparco.

The production GT, due in late 2016, will be powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. The 600-hp engine features custom pistons, rods, turbos and cams. Made from carbon fiber and aluminum, the supercar also gets an active aerodynamics package with a moveable rear wing to optimize downforce for improved stability with minimal drag. Pricing is expected to start at about $400,000.