This is the sound that Ford hopes will bring it a fifth overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford's return to the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is less than a year away, and the company is deep in development on its Oreca-based LMDh challenger. The still-unnamed car has not been revealed, but we already know that it will be powered by a 5.4-liter V-8 engine bearing the road-relevant Coyote name.
Now, we also have our first hints on how it will sound in action. In a clip shared on Thursday, the Coyote racing V-8 can be heard firing up as part of the car for the first time. The engine is running for very little of the video, but we can hear it kick on, idle with a solid burble, and rise up into what should be the middle of its rev range a few times.
View Price on AmazonFord says that this is specifically the first time that the engine fired while attached to both the car and the hybrid system, a major milestone for a powertrain that has previously only existed on a dyno. Crucially, it brings the brand's new factory team closer to its next step: an on-track debut, something that the company says is set to happen in private tests at European tracks over the next month.
The 2027 FIA WEC season is set to start on March 27th, leaving Ford about eight months to test, develop, and finalize the car before its first competitive race. Plenty of milestones are left, most notably including reveals of both the name and design of the Oreca-based racer, but the program seems to be progressing on time to debut as planned.
Source: roadandtrack.com
