--- title: "Ford Says It ‘Learned’ From Porsche’s Strategy in Making Mustang Its Racing Flagship" description: "The Porsche 911 inspired Ford to compete globally with the Mustang, and sell models from the base EcoBoost up to the hardcore GTD." date: "2024-01-30" modified: "2024-01-30" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-learned-porsches-strategy-in-making-mustang-its-racing-flagship" categories: - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Racing" tags: - "Ford" - "Mustang" - "sports car" --- # Ford Says It ‘Learned’ From Porsche’s Strategy in Making Mustang Its Racing Flagship ![]() *Ford* The Ford Mustang made a thunderous return to factory-backed endurance racing at the [24 Hours of Daytona]() over the weekend, challenging mainstays like Porsche, BMW, and Chevrolet. It was also a statement from Ford: the Mustang is its flagship performance car now. The Ford GT is no more and its [return isn't in the cards](), so it's the pony car's turn to lead. Why the Mustang and not a purpose-built, from-the-ground-up race car? According to [Ford](), the inspiration to cast the Mustang as its leading man actually came from Porsche and its iconic 911. "We learned that from other brands—full disclosure we learned that from Porsche and the way they’ve created that level of opportunity \[with the 911\]—it’s something we can do and there’s nothing stopping us from doing it," Jay Ward, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsport communications, told *The Drive* at Daytona. ![]() **Ford** There's a [Porsche 911]() flavor for everyone, from the base model all the way up to the hardcore 911 GT3 RS, and the fact that Porsche goes racing with the 911 not only makes the brand money, it increases the model's value in the eyes of enthusiasts. Ford is doing something similar with the Mustang now, as it starts with normal trims and ascends to serious track-ready equipment like the high-performance Dark Horse and extreme [Mustang GTD](). "If you think about the number of people who are going racing in a Mustang on any given weekend, whether it is club racing or a person doing track days or whatever, \[as a company\] you gotta go racing with a sense of purpose," Ward said. "You can’t just go racing for fun, it has to serve a purpose. And particularity with the new Mustang, this is the kind of business opportunity—going racing in GT3 and GT4, and Dark Horse R. So if you’re very focused, you can add revenue while also adding value to the brand." ![]() **Porsche** Over the weekend, Mustang owners got to watch cars that looked a lot like their own lap Daytona and mix it up with the best Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, and of course Porsche have to offer. That legitimizes the Mustang in the racing world and bolsters the car's performance capabilities in the eyes of the global public. It's brand value that only motorsport can offer. The 911's competitive and sales successes have certainly shown what's possible over the years, and you could say Ford has learned from the best. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()