This Mustang is Ford's new Australian Supercars racer

This is a Ford Mustang racecar, and you’re perfectly entitled to wonder why it looks a little bit weird. Because it undoubtedly does.

This ‘Stang will compete in Australia’s Supercars series (formerly V8 Supercars), replacing the Falcon that’s represented Ford since what feels like the beginning of motorsport. Indeed, Ford versus Holden – and more specifically, Falcon versus Commodore – has been a staple of Aussie life for decades.

But the Falcon and Commodore are no longer in production. Indeed, Australia’s car industry has somewhat dissolved. Which means Ford versus Holden needs to continue in a different form.

This is the Falcon replacement, a Mustang campaigned by DJR Team Penske and Ford Performance. Those weird proportions? Supercars contenders all use a shared chassis with their bespoke body panels applied to it.

That chassis is designed to fit the four-door cars that used to battle for the Supercars title, and one the two-door Mustang shape has had to adapt rather heavily around. So the proportions are a bit out, something that’s not helped by some undersized looking wheels and an oversized looking wing.

Of course, none of this will matter too much if it wins. And the signs from its first tests are positive, with racers Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard both having stints behind the wheel.

“It’s a great start,” says McLaughlin. “It did everything we could expect of a brand-new race car, and the balance feels pretty close to our current package,” suggesting it drives rather a lot like the Falcon it replaces. Whether it’ll replace the Falcon quite as seamlessly in the hearts of die-hard Aussie fans is another issue altogether…