The 2024 Ford Mustang GT4 Racecar Is Here To Kick Road-Course Butt

With the 2024 Ford Mustang likely being the final generation of combustion-powered Mustang, Ford is pulling out all the stops and taking it racing just about everywhere. Hot on the heels of the GT3 car, the blue oval has unveiled the customer-spec Ford Mustang GT4 race car, meant to give everyone from Porsche to Toyota a damn good thrashing.

Compared to the GT3 car, the Mustang GT4 isn’t that crazy. There’s no unique front bumper, no ludicrously wide fenders, no hood vents the depth of cake pans. Instead, it looks largely like a normal Mustang Dark Horse with some aerodynamic bolt-ons, which adds an air of relatability to this track-only machine.

The front bumper cover looks pretty much identical to that of a standard Mustang Dark Horse, but it gets some sprinkled-on hardware. A deep front spoiler teams up with an adjustable splitter and a pair of canards to stick the front end down at speed. Out back, a large swan-neck takes the place of the Dark Horse’s trunk-mounted wing, completing the visible aerodynamic package. Interestingly, Ford claims that some of the Mustang GT4’s panels are made from natural fibers, which means that if you can get a sueded steering wheel, this thing’s vegetarian.

While the five-liter Coyote V8 engine is still similar to that of a street-legal Mustang, it’s been fettled by Ford Performance to fit in with series requirements. The GT4 also gets a Holinger six-speed sequential gearbox that you probably wouldn’t want in a street car anyway because dog clutches are wild. Pneumatic paddle shifters send it up through the gears, delivering fast, reliable shifts in the heat of competition.

Like the second-generation Ford GT, the Mustang GT4 is assembled by Canadian outfit Multimatic, so you best believe that it comes with a set of DSSV dampers. From various Formula 1 cars to the Porsche 919, all manner of really fast cars use these precise spool valve dampers, so consider this race-ready Mustang in good company.

Unsurprisingly, the Mustang GT4 doesn’t have an interior as such, but it does get a nice switch panel, a floor-hinged pedal box, and all the safety bits you could really want for racing wheel-to-wheel. We’re talking a nice-looking cage, safety netting, an FIA-certified Recaro halo seat, a fire system, and an unusually elaborate battery cutoff.

GT4 is an entry-level series that leans heavily on balance of performance, which leads to a diverse field consisting of everything from pumped-up GR Supras to nerfed Audi R8s. Mustangs have actually been racing in the series since the start, as the FR500C GT4 was actually one of the first cars homologated for the series.

Okay, so SRO GT4 isn’t entry-level in the same sense as Lucky Dog or AER, but you get the idea. Get a team together, buy a pre-built car, modify nothing, order a bunch of spec tires, and go racing. I’m missing some important steps in there, but that’s the gist. More importantly, the GT4 car gives us a better look at the incoming Mustang Dark Horse R trackday special, a seam-welded race-ready Dark Horse for apex devotees. Of course, if you can’t wait for that, you can always call up Multimatic and order a Mustang GT4. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but like most professional turn-key race cars, don’t expect it to come cheap.

(Photo credits: Ford)

Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.

• The Insane Ford Mustang GT3 Racecar Is Here To Kick Ferrari’s Butt One More Time For America

• The Nissan Z GT4 Is A Proper Racecar You’ll Actually Be Able To Buy

• Here’s How A 1-of-12 Maserati MC12 Race Car Was Somehow Made Street Legal

• The Insane Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer Crams IndyCar Power Under A Familiar Crossover Silhouette

• Here’s Why A Small Canadian Company Called Scalar Performance Might Have The Most Important GR86 At SEMA

Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.