Bathurst 1000 2018: Ford GT and Aussie ace Ryan Briscoe fired up for great race

Ford Australia has confirmed the Ford Performance GT will make its Australian debut during the 2018 Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama, helmed by Aussie race champion, Ryan Briscoe.

The Ford Performance GT, which fulfilled Ford’s plan of claiming victory at Le Mans 50 years after the original Ford GT40 did in 1966, will lap the mountain to showcase "the advanced engineering innovation and development capability" of Ford’s Performance marque.

It is also part of Ford promoting the Mustang’s return to Supercars next year as developed by the Ford Performance brand. It will be the first time a Mustang has lined up on the grid since 1986.

Briscoe notes how Bathurst compares well to racing circuits in the US.

Supercars CEO, Sean Seamer said, “To have such an iconic vehicle in the Ford GT here is something Australian fans will love, and it shows how highly regarded Bathurst is globally, and by Ford and Ford Performance”.

While Sydney-born Chip Ganassi Racing driver Ryan Briscoe, who Ford says is “an integral part of our success with the Ford GT in racing”, says that “nothing quite compares to Bathurst.” He says the track is one of the most intense circuits in the world and compares well to tracks in the US like Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen.

The Ford Performance GT has so far been victorious in the Daytona 24 hour this year and is powered by a racing version of the same 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost engine that is present in its road-going equivalent. It is claimed to produce over 368kW and has a Ricardo six-speed sequential transmission in place of the regular Ford GT’s seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch.

Will you be looking out for the Ford Performance GT at this year’s Bathurst 1000? Tell us what you think in the comments below.