Official: Ford returns to Le Mans

It's official: Ford has tonight confirmed speculation it will return to the Le Mans 24-hour next year with its all-new GT supercar.

The announcement was made on the eve of the 2015 French endurance classic this weekend, when Porsche -- which claimed the top three qualifying positions, with Aussie Mark Webber's car to start from second -- will do battle with reigning champion Audi, plus Toyota and newcomer Nissan.

When it unveiled the GT at the Detroit motor show in January, Ford said its born-again GT supercar was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Ford GT's overall one-two-three victory in 1966. Ford went on to repeat its victory at Le Mans in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

Now it has confirmed it will not only enter its new GT in the Le Mans GT Endurance class for professional teams and drivers (LM GTE Pro), but contest full 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

It will make its competition debut in January at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Florida. The two Ford teams will be operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) and both series teams will form a four-car effort at Le Mans, with drivers to be announced later.

The GT will mark Ford return to international sports car racing in the same year the carbon-fibre, twin-turbo V6-powered production version goes on sale – albeit in left-hand drive only form.

The born-again GT is the centrepiece of a new sports car push by Ford Performance group, which has promised to deliver 12 new performance vehicles by 2020 including the next Focus RS and new Mustang Shelby GT350s.

“When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing’s most legendary manufacturers,” said Ford Motor Company executive chairman, Bill Ford.

“We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today.”

Designed with input from Ford Australia designer chief, Tasmanian-born Todd Willing, Ford said the GT race has undergone extensive design and testing by aerodynamic testing within Ford and Multimatic Motorsports.

Other partners in the campaign include Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, Brembo and CGRFS.

“As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing,” said Ford 's global product and technical chief Raj Nair.

“We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage.”

Ford isn't the only brand to leverage the increasing production car links highlighted by one of the world's greater motor races, also known as "the grand prix of sports cars".

Renault is expected to preview the reincarnation of its Alpine sports car brand by revealing a racy new concept at Le Mans tomorrow, while BMW sources yesterday confirmed the German brand wants to enter the great race in 2018.