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Ford Has Picked a Chassis Supplier for Its 2027 Le Mans Hypercar Plans

Ford has selected sports car manufacturer Oreca as the chassis supplier for its upcoming LMDh project, setting the stage for a run at the overall 24 Hours of Le Mans win in 2027. The brand's Friday announcement also noted that Dan Sayers has joined the project as program manager. The deal means that Ford will be the fourth manufacturer to partner with Oreca, joining Acura, Alpine, and Genesis: Acura currently races the Oreca-based ARX-06 in IMSA; Alpine runs the A424 in the FIA World Endurance Championship; and Genesis plans to enter both over the next two years with their GMR-001. Since LMDh rules require teams to build their car around a safety cell from one of four approved chassis manufacturers, this means that the Ford will share some common parts with all of those cars. Most of the vehicle will be unique to Ford, however, including the engine. Sayers joins the now Oreca-affiliated prototype project directly from Red Bull Powertrains, a Ford-aligned group that will be building engines and hybrid systems for the energy drink brand's two Formula 1 teams. His responsibility will be getting the new racer from conception to the 2027 season opener — a daunting challenge that has led to early struggles for many current LMH and LMDh manufacturers on the grid at Le Mans for the 2025 event. While these announcements bring Ford closer to its return to the top class at Le Mans, some major questions remain. The brand still has not announced a partner team or official plans to build its own factory team, let alone the drivers. Ford has also only announced plans for the Europe-based FIA World Endurance Championship, meaning that the American manufacturer's long-awaited GT40 successor is not actually set to race in the U.S.-based IMSA championship just yet. An engine layout has also not been shared, although Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook mentioned in February that the brand had decided on a total cylinder count for its final race car. Those details will trickle out over the next two years. Until then, Oreca and Sayers will get to work helping Ford get their new prototype on the track. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data