The Ford Mustang has long been a legend at the dragstrip, where it’s well known for blistering quarter-mile times and an ongoing rivalry with muscle-car competitors like the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.
But this year, we’re going to find out if the current Mustang has the power—and the handling—to take on some of Europe’s most impressive sports cars on some of Europe’s most grueling race courses.
That’s because the Marc VDS Racing Team, operating of Gosselies, Belgium, will campaign a new Mustang in the 2010 FIA GT3 European Championship series. The team brings significant Ford experience to the series, since it also fields a pair of Ford GTs in FIA GT1 competition.
Piloted by Belgian driver Eric De Doncker and Scott Maxwell, a Canadian, the GT3 Mustang is the beneficiary of some significant upgrades for the coming season. Most notable are a big 5.3-liter V8, which can channel up to 560 horsepower to the Mustang’s rear wheels, and a modern transaxle to ensure its wheels can get the most out of all those horses.
The VDS team also put the the car on a dramatic diet, shedding more than 600 lbs off the curb weight of a production Mustang GT.
Of course, the car is going to need every advantage it’s got, since it will be racing against cars ranging from the Porsche 911 to the Lamborghini Gallardo to the Audi R8.
But while the Mustang GT3 won’t be hitting the street any time soon, U.S. customers shouldn’t worry too much. They can still get into the eminently street-legal 2011 Mustang Shelby GT500, which pumps out just 20 fewer hp than the track-ready racer.
It’s a small sacrifice for what’s still some big-time performance.
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