The 2024 Ford Mustang GT suits up for pace car duty for this weekend’s NASCAR races at Martinsville Speedway. It leads the way for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Craftsman Truck Series events.
The Mustang pace car wears a Grabber Blue body with dark blue stripes on the hood. A stylized horse logo is on each rear fender. The grille, roof, rear spoiler, and wheels are black. Blue brake calipers add a bit of color. A low-profile light bar is on the roof.
The Mustang pace car has the stock powertrain from the GT model with the optional active performance exhaust. With it, the 5.0-liter V8 produces 486 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque. If a customer doesn’t check this box on the order sheet, the engine makes 480 hp and 415 lb-ft.
The new Mustang will also be the pace car at six more NASCAR events throughout the 2023 season. They will be the races at Talladega from April 21 to 23, Dover from April 29 to 30, Darlington from May 12 to 14, Nashville from June 23 to 25, Chicago from June 30 to July 2, and the Labor Day Weekend at Darlington from September 1 to 3.
When the 2024 Mustang begins arriving at dealers this summer, buyers have two other powertrain options than the GT. The entry-level model has the turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder that produces 315 hp and 350 lb-ft. The Dark Horse is at the other end of the performance spectrum by packing a tuned 5.0-liter V8 making 500 hp and 418 lb-ft.
There’s evidence that two other Mustang variants might be on the way. Spy shots show a model with a wider track, revised front fascia, and exhaust changes. The speculation suggests it might be the new Shelby GT500.
In addition, Ford boss Jim Farley tweeted a picture of the Mustang GT3 race car and asked if the company should make a road-legal version. We wouldn’t expect him to do that unless there’s at least a possibility of making such a product. Presumably, this would be a track-focused variant that could share elements like the big front splitter and tall rear wing from the competition-spec model.
For more Mustang discussion, check out this episode of Rambling About Cars:
