The Ford Motor Co. will return to the top level of prototype sports car racing in 2027 in the World Endurance Championship series with a factory team that will compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “We are entering a new era for performance and racing at Ford.

After the 1960s, Ford exited from the top-tier prototype class and competed in production-focused class racing around the world. In 2016, it won the Le Mans GT class with a mid-engine GT, and then finished second in the GT class last year with the debut of its Mustang GT3.

Ford Performance will enter the LMDh class of the World Endurance Championship in 2027. The goal is overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans against fierce rivals like Ferrari and Porsche. Ford’s last entry in the top-tier class took place in 1982,