The car, designated 888A-070, is the first Triple Eight-built Mustang ahead of the team’s impending switch to the Blue Oval for next season.
In fact, it is the first Triple Eight Supercar based on a Ford platform since 2009 when the squad jumped ship from Ford to Holden.
Ford did have a Red Bull Ampol Racing-branded Mustang on hand for the Triple Eight announcement back in January, however that wasn’t actually a Triple Eight car, rather a Mustang borrowed from Blanchard Racing Team and wrapped in RBAR colours.
This proper T8 Mustang features a sharp one-off silver and grey livery for its trip to the States, where it will tested against a Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro and a Walkinshaw Andretti United Toyota Supra in the Windshear wind tunnel.
As revealed by Speedcafe, the time-consuming nature of the trip to the States, which will be completed by sea freight, means Triple Eight won’t have a Mustang on track until next year.
According to T8 managing director Jamie Whincup the unveiling of the Mustang is a “full circle” moment for the team.
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“What an incredible few months it’s been at Triple Eight Race Engineering,” he said.
“Today marks a truly significant milestone for our team, and for me personally. We’ve just completed the very first Triple Eight-built Ford Mustang Supercar, and it’s now prepped and ready for its journey to the United States for Supercars’ mandated wind tunnel testing at the end of the year.
“This is a full-circle moment, really. For those who remember, Triple Eight started in Supercars as a Ford team back in 2003, and we enjoyed a successful run with the Blue Oval until the end of 2009.
“That era saw us bag three Bathurst 1000 victories with Craig Lowndes and myself, along with my first two drivers’ championships in 2008 and 2009.
“It was a fantastic period that laid the foundation for our team’s future dominance.
“Seeing this Mustang come together, piece by piece, has filled me with immense pride. The dedication and hard work from every single person in our team is nothing short of phenomenal.
“To get this car built to such a high standard, ready for its crucial wind tunnel validation, is a credit to them all.
“This transition is a massive undertaking, and our team has tackled it with their usual relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Supercars had initially planned to only run the Supra in the wind tunnel and balance it against existing data from the Camaro and Mustang.
At that stage this first T8 Mustang was earmarked for track testing, a plan that was thwarted by the decision to put all through models in the tunnel.
That has forced a change of plans with a second T8 Mustang to become its first on track in early 2026.
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