The new Ford Mustang GTD made its debut at the LA motor show. This highly-anticipated model is Ford’s most powerful road car to date and features a carbonfibre body, aerodynamic enhancements, and track-ready performance. It will be produced in limited numbers starting late next year, with an estimated price of around $300,000 in the US. While the UK will also receive an allocation, specific details regarding numbers and pricing have yet to be confirmed.
The Mustang GTD was developed by a small group of engineers in an anonymous storage garage at Ford’s Michigan headquarters. Their goal was to create a Mustang that could compete with the best European sports cars. Ford is aiming for a sub-seven-minute lap time at the Nürburgring, which would put the GTD in the same league as supercars like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, and Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.
Ford CEO Jim Farley expressed his confidence in the GTD, stating that it challenges traditional notions of a supercar. He emphasized that Ford didn’t engineer a road car for the track, but rather a race car for the road. Farley even challenged other auto bosses to take their best road cars on the track against the Mustang GTD.
The Mustang GTD was developed in collaboration with Multimatic, the motorsport outfit responsible for building the Ford GT supercar. It is essentially a road-legal version of the Mustang GT3, which will compete at Le Mans next year. The GTD gets its name from the IMSA Sportscar Championship’s GTD classification, which adheres to the FIA’s GT3 specifications.
The highlight of the Mustang GTD is its power output. With a supercharged V8 engine, it is expected to produce over 800bhp, surpassing the previous 700bhp Shelby GT500 and even the track-only Ford GT MK IV. The bespoke 5.2-litre engine features motorsport-derived modifications, including dry sump lubrication, dual air inlets, and a titanium active-valve exhaust system. The power is transferred to the rear transaxle gearbox via a carbonfibre propshaft, which spins at engine speeds of over 7500rpm.
The chassis of the GTD is significantly different from the standard Mustang. The front suspension setup incorporates an unequal-length double-wishbone design with Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) damper technology. The rear suspension features in-board coilover units connected to a tubular steel frame, pushrods, and rocker arms. The GTD also boasts a 50/50 weight distribution and a variable traction control system.
In terms of design, the GTD takes inspiration from the GT3 racer. It features a hydraulically adjustable rear wing, vented hood, air scoops, front splitter, and rear diffuser for enhanced aerodynamics. The interior retains many elements of the standard Mustang but with weight-saving modifications. The rear seats have been removed, the front seats are replaced with Recaro buckets, and certain components, such as the rotary dial and paddle shifters, are 3D-printed using titanium from retired F22 fighter jets.
While the exact weight of the GTD has not been disclosed, the extensive use of carbonfibre and lightweight materials suggests it will be significantly lighter than the standard Mustang. Overall, the Mustang GTD represents a remarkable achievement for Ford and sets a new benchmark for performance in the Mustang lineup.
