Bye, EcoBoost! Next Ford Hypercar Will Soon Be Coyote V8 Powered

A brand new Ford Hypercar is one year out from attempting to achieve the automaker’s first overall Le Mans victory since the GT40.

Some time ago, Ford announced that it would be making a return to the world of hypercar endurance racing, the highest level of that particular segment of motorsports. The Blue Oval is already competing in the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) via the Ford Mustang GT3, but it hasn’t competed for the overall victory at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race in nearly 60 years, when it achieved that mark with the GT40. Now, we’re getting an even better look at the forthcoming Ford Hypercar before its 2027 racing debut.

At the recent Ford Racing 2026 motorsports kickoff event, we were treated to a few teaser images of the all-new Ford Hypercar, as well as some juicy details regarding what will power it – and who will drive it. Ford is quite literally at the halfway point of the racer’s development, having announced it one year ago, and right now, we’re also one month away from its actual on-track debut.

Obviously, building a ground-up competitive hypercar in two years is nothing less than a daunting task, but it seems as if Ford is making tremendous progress. It just announced that the new racer will be powered by a familiar engine, too. A 5.4L naturally aspirated Coyote V8 that utilizes the same high-voltage hybrid technology already in use in the Mustang Dark Horse R, GT4, and GT3 racers. This new Coyote is being developed entirely in-house with Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

Want a sneak peek at how it sounds? Watch this:

As for who will drive the new Ford Hypercar when the final screws are in place, those names should prove familiar to some as well – Sebastian Priaulx, Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller, and Logan Sargeant. Priaulx and Rockenfeller have been competing in the Mustang GT3 for a while now, achieving two victories in IMSA last year, so they’re already quite familiar with the Ford Racing team and its efforts. To prepare them for endurance racing, the two will be competing in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series in 2026, too.

As for Sargeant, he’s a former Formula 1 driver who spent 2023 and 2024 with Williams, scoring a championship point at the United States Grand Prix, though he wound up losing his seat after suffering a few high-profile crashes in the latter season. Regardless, Sargeant has plenty of talent and additional experience in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team, too.

Now, this same crew has a full year to finish creating a new Ford Hypercar that will help it achieve something that it hasn’t done in six decades – score an overall win at Le Mans, and complete the automaker’s recent motorsports renaissance in true style.

Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.