New high-performance Mustang coming January 16

Ford Racing has teased a new high-performance sports car that will debut on January 16 (our time); however, details of the new coupe are predictably few and far between.

Ford Performance has been rebranded as Ford Racing and will kick off 2026 with a bang later this month when all its top drivers, competition and road cars come together for its season launch.

One of the main attractions will be what the Blue Oval is calling a “new high-performance sports car” cryptically teased in the season launch trailer beneath a sheet and overpowering blue graphics.

Observing what we can, it’s clear the new model will be some sort of Mustang – owing to the overall stature and cab-back silhouette – but where in the range it will slot into is less clear cut.

With the GTD serving as the outright halo of Ford Racing’s road-car portfolio, we wouldn’t be surprised if the new offering slots between the Porsche-hunting hero and the tickled-up Dark Horse, delivering more track poise and capability than the latter without the all-out aggression or elite cost of the former.

There’s also a 258kW gulf between the GTD and Dark Horse, meaning there’s plenty of room for a more accessible track toy.

The other possibility is for an even more insane GTD to emerge and take a crack at General Motors’ Nürburgring lap record set last year by the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X – the fastest American production car around the Green Hell to date.

Ford praised GM’s accomplishment but vowed to retaliate, so it would be fitting for the hottest and most capable Mustang ever to debut at the brand’s 2026 season launch.

All will be revealed next Friday.

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