America’s presence in the FIA World Endurance Championship is set to increase in the 2027 season. Cadillac is already in the hypercar category with Hertz Team JOTA, and, of course, the Ford Mustang races in the GT3 category. But for 2027, Ford is joining the top flight with its new hypercar.
The Blue Oval has designed a car to the LMDh set of regulations, meaning it has bought the chassis but designed its own aerodynamic bodywork and engine. The hypercar has a 5.4-liter V8 under the hood derived from the famous Coyote powertrain.
The car was recently tested at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France, where the Oreca-chassis prototype racked up over 1,000km/620 miles during its three full days of testing. Drivers Logan Sargeant, Matt Campbell, Tom Blomqvist and Mike Rockenfeller all took turns driving the new hypercar.
Since the test, footage has emerged showing the car transition from EV power to V8 power. The hypercars pull away from garages and pit boxes on electric power before the full combustion engine kicks in. And when it does so, the soundtrack that the car produces is simply glorious.
How the WEC Hypercars Transition From Electric to Combustion Power
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The Le Mans hypercars, bar the V12-powered Aston Martin Valkyrie, all use a hybrid powertrain. The current rules for the FIA WEC require the engine in the cars to be turned off during pit stops, but of course it has to refire once the car is on the move again.
The hypercar pulls away on its EV power, and this in turn bump-starts the engine. Once the hypercar is at the pit lane speed limit, the engine itself kicks in so the car can blast out of the pits when it reaches the end. That allows us to listen to the glorious sounds we hear with the Ford, as the big V8 fires up and kicks in after it initially leaves the pit box on its electric power.
Of course, the Ford isn’t the only car to do this. The Cadillac already in the WEC does the same, and it too has a V8 under the hood, so you get a huge roar when it fires up. The other hypercars do the same thing, except for the Valkyrie, which just fires up its V12 engine, as it is a naturally aspirated car. But there is something very cool about how the Ford and Cadillac fire up.
Ford Is Seeking Le Mans Glory With Its New Hypercar
At the time of writing, the new Ford prototype did not have a name. But the team is seeking glory at Le Mans as soon as possible. The new car performed its maiden shakedown in France in August 2026, featuring a dazzling black-and-white camouflage design to hide some of the more intricate aerodynamic details. Rockenfeller, Blomqvist, Sargeant and Campbell will drive the two entered cars throughout 2027 alongside Sebastian Prialx and Nick Yelloly.
It won’t be an easy journey for Ford. Aston Martin and Genesis have shown how hard it is to come in new and get up to speed, although the latter is making exceptional progress. BMW, Ferrari, Cadillac and Toyota are the manufacturers currently leading the way in the WEC. Ford will be joined by McLaren in 2027 as well, as the British racing team makes its return to the top category of sports car racing.