When Proton Competition rolled car No. 77 onto the Circuit de la Sarthe grid in June 2025, it did so with a Ford Mustang GT3 rather than the Porsche machinery that had defined the German team for years. For the three drivers sharing the cockpit — Ben Barker, Bernardo Sousa and Ben Tuck — and for collectors tracking the LMGT3 field, it was a pairing worth recording in die-cast metal at 1:18.
Seventh-Generation Mustang, Full FIA GT3 Specification
The Ford Mustang GT3 is built on the S650 platform — the seventh generation of the Mustang — and developed to FIA GT3 regulations by Multimatic Motorsports. Power comes from a 5.0-litre Coyote V8, naturally aspirated and homologated in GT3 trim. The programme made its competitive debut in 2024, and the 2025 season brought the car to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the first time under the 24 Hours of Le Mans entry list.
Proton Competition and a Shift in Identity at Le Mans
Proton Competition is a German privateer outfit with a long Le Mans history built almost entirely around Porsche GT cars. Their 2025 LMGT3 entry with the Mustang GT3 represented a deliberate expansion of that identity. Car No. 77 was crewed by Ben Barker (GBR), Bernardo Sousa (PRT) and Ben Tuck (GBR), a Bronze/Silver combination that met the ACO crew-classification requirements for the LMGT3 class. For collectors who track Proton's history, this entry sits at an interesting crossroads alongside earlier Porsche 911 RSR campaigns.
IXO Models: Die-Cast at 1:18
IXO Models, the French-owned manufacturer known for high-volume racing replicas at 1:18 and 1:43, produced this replica for Le Mans 2025 car No. 77. The model is die-cast metal — not resin — a construction choice that delivers durability suited to regular handling. The livery of the LMGT3-class Mustang is reproduced across the die-cast bodywork, with the No. 77 race graphics as the central identifying detail.
In the Display Cabinet
A 1:18 die-cast of a wide-body GT3 car makes a striking presence on any shelf, so allow adequate depth for the front splitter and rear wing overhang. The model pairs naturally with other LMGT3 entries from Le Mans 2025, with Proton Competition's earlier Porsche GT replicas, or alongside the Ford GT GTE models from the 2016–2019 Le Mans campaigns that also ran under ACO regulations. It fits equally within a dedicated Mustang GT3 display or a broader endurance-racing collection grouped by team or circuit.
