Currently reading: Ford Performance rebranded as it primes road-going racers

New Ford Racing division promises a closer link between the brand’s road and track models

Ford Performance has rebranded to Ford Racing amid preparations for a range of more extreme road cars drawing on its motorsport programmes, in the vein of the Mustang GTD.

With the new name comes a new logo, pairing Ford's historic blue oval emblem with a modern ‘Racing’ typeface in a matching shade.

Will Ford, general manager of Ford Racing, said the change is “more than a simple rebranding exercise”, bringing the road and race car operations together under one roof. 

With that will come an expansion of the American brand’s performance car range.

Ford CEO Jim Farley recently hinted at the prospect of a 1000bhp Ranger Raptor pick-up truck inspired by the brand’s Dakar Rally contender, for example, having told Bloomberg: “No one has ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt.”

What the future holds for more affordable fast Fords remains unclear. Production of the Ford Focus ST is soon to end and the Puma ST’s 197bhp 1.5-litre engine and manual gearbox were dropped last year. This means the only performance cars in Ford's UK line-up are the less powerful 1.0-litre Puma ST, the V8 Mustang and the Mustang Mach-E GT SUV.

The new Ford Racing branding will be applied to Ford's race cars with immediate effect, although Will Ford said it will “come into life” at the Dakar Rally and Daytona 24 Hours next January.

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Charlie Martin

Charlie Martin Autocar
Title: Staff Writer

As part of Autocar’s news desk, Charlie plays a key role in the title’s coverage of new car launches and industry events. He’s also a regular contributor to its social media channels, creating content for Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter.

Charlie joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication What Car?, during which he acquired his gold-standard NCTJ diploma with the Press Association.

He is the proud owner of a Mk4 Mazda MX-5 but still feels pangs of guilt over selling his first car, a Fiat Panda 100HP.

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xxxx 4 September 2025

Regarding the article, how on earth can a 1.0 litre 3 pot Puma be called a performance car?

Peter Cavellini 4 September 2025

What about the Capri?, or isn't it selling poorly as it is?