Ford WEC Hypercar chassis fires up its V8 for the first time

Ford's Hypercar project reached another significant milestone ahead of its 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship debut, with the ORECA-built LMDh prototype's 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine firing up for the first time installed in the chassis before its planned track debut next month.

The first integrated engine fire-up took place at ORECA's facility in southern France, a stone's throw from Circuit Paul Ricard, bringing together the French constructor's chassis with Ford's in-house-developed powertrain for the first time outside of the dyno program in Dearborn, Mich.

The Hypercar is powered by a Coyote-based V8 designed, developed and built by Ford Racing in Michigan. The engine is paired with the spec hybrid system and has undergone an extensive dyno development program before being installed in the chassis.

"This moment was the culmination of months of painstaking work," said Ford WEC Hypercar program manager Dan Sayers. "As I reflect on the journey to this point, I am proud of the groundwork that was laid long before the engine ever turned over in France.

"The engine's development phase is already showing great promise on the dynos in Dearborn, where we've been pushing the limits of its performance, durability and learning a lot at the same time. That dyno work, combined with parallel progress on the chassis side with ORECA, has now converged into a complete package ready for its next phase."

Sayers described the first fire-up as a "critical validation step" for the program, which is developing its engine entirely in-house.

"The firing of the engine at ORECA is more than a symbolic moment," he said. "We are doing everything from an engine perspective in-house and we're doing that because we can react faster, we can learn faster and we can bring that back to the production side of the business.

"Hearing the Coyote V8 come alive within its intended home for the first time confirmed that months of integration work between the powertrain and chassis teams had paid off."

Ford's testing program will move into its next phase in August, with the Hypercar scheduled to make its track debut at circuits across Europe before additional testing in the U.S. Ford says the initial test program will focus on performance, reliability, hybrid system integration, and aerodynamic validation.

The program's six confirmed factory drivers will all play a role in the development process, building on simulator work already completed as Ford prepares for its return to the top class of endurance racing in 2027.

"Of course, it's early days, and we have a huge amount of work ahead of us, but the sim work and dyno numbers give us a great foundation, but there's no substitute for what the drivers feel through the wheel and the seat once we're actually out on track," Sayers said. "That feedback loop is what will truly sharpen this car over the upcoming months."