2026 is set to be a big year for Ford, as the Blue Oval returns to Formula 1 with the Red Bull team, a partnership which will begin at a season launch in Detroit.
Set to take place on January 15 at Ford’s US headquarters, it will mark the official start of Red Bull Ford Powertrains, but the event won’t just be about its Formula 1 challenger.
In addition to revealing its 2026 NASCAR teams and showing off its Dakar racers, Ford will also provide “an exclusive sneak peek at an all-new Ford Racing production road car”.
According to Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing global director, the new vehicle will be “a testament to how deeply we’re integrating our racing innovation into the vehicles you drive every day”.
“The racetrack is our ultimate proving ground, fast-tracking developments that will soon be under the hood and in the chassis of your next Ford.
“Our vision for Ford Racing is not just a concept; it’s a tangible reality, and we genuinely cannot wait to share the true scale of our ambition.”
It’s the first time we’ve heard of a standalone Ford Racing – formerly Ford Performance – car being in development, given the most recent model was the Ford GT, a mid-engined supercar designed with the primary purpose of being a homologation special for endurance racing.
A revival of a GT-style supercar is unlikely, given Ford already has a multi-category GT3 race car in the Mustang, which also spawned the road-going Mustang GTD.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has previously hinted at wanting to build the world’s first “off-road supercar”, having already given the green light to the development of the low-volume models such as the Mustang GTD and Bronco Desert Racer.
Speaking on Bloomberg’s ‘Hot Pursuit’ podcast earlier this year, Farley said, “No one’s ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt. I’m thinking really deeply about it, and usually that turns into something”.
“These Raptor people are telling us something. They’re not stupid. They’re really smart people. They spent $120,000 on an 800-horsepower pickup truck.”
It’s possible the new model could take inspiration from the V8-powered Raptor T1+ Dakar Rally car or the aforementioned Bronco Desert Racer. Farley has reportedly said the off-road supercar will have 745kW (1000hp).
Like the Ford GT, the Mustang GTD and Bronco Desert Racer, it’s likely Ford will turn to Multimatic for the low-volume high-performance car.
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