In the year that will mark six decades since Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt won the race in a GT40 Mk. IV, Ford is headed back to the world's greatest sports car race. Not just with a GT car, but with an LMDh-spec prototype, competing in the top class for the overall win.

The Blue Oval's factory effort will compete in WEC's Hypercar class with eyes on a Le Mans 24-hour overall victory for the first time since 1982

Ford announced plans Thursday to enter an LMDh prototype in the World Endurance Championship in 2027, taking the American manufacturer back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the top category of sports car racing.

The Blue Oval brand will field a full factory FIA WEC team to try and capture its first outright win in nearly six decades.

Determined to defeat the Italian marque after several failed attempts in the years prior, Ford developed the GT40 and, together with customer teams, entered multiple examples in the 1966 race. The cars driven to the historic win were a trio of GT40 Mk IIs, and one of those went up for auction in 2018, finally selling for $9.8 million.

Ford becomes the eighth manufacturer to officially commit to the LMDh platform and is set to be at least the tenth OEM to enter the WEC’s Hypercar class in 2027, joining Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota and beginning next year, Genesis.

Ford will enter the booming global factory prototype ranks with a new LMDh-based chassis starting in 2027. As RACER revealed earlier in January, the Blue Oval is set to chase overall wins at

When you think of the next big electric vehicle (EV) stock, you might think of those vying to be the next Tesla, such as Rivian Automotive. Or you might stick with the mainstream autos you know and mostly love,

Ford first entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 1964, debuting the now legendary GT40 race car. Up against fierce competition from Ferrari, the GT40 soon became a raging success, going on to claim four consecutive outright victories between 1966 and 1969.

The Blue Oval has announced that it is returning to the top tier of prototype sports car racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027, with the goal of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans 60 years after the GT40 achieved overall victory.