Hear Ford’s Le Mans Hypercar Crank to Life

Ford’s Le Mans Hypercar effort moved closer to reality as the automaker started the 5.4-liter naturally aspirated Coyote-based V-8 in the race car’s chassis, along with its accompanying hybrid specification system. The start marks an on-track debut for the new car in “just a matter of weeks,” and the program began publicly with a Le Mans 2027 target announced less than 18 months earlier. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the flagship event of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), where top-class entries race in the Hypercar category; the comparable U.S. series is IMSA’s GTP class. Ford confirmed in January 2025 that it will compete in IMSA to prepare for WEC. The entry remains unnamed, and the article describes it as a purpose-built race car with a cross-continental development approach.