Ford Mustang GTD is the fastest pony yet

In a design and engineering collaboration between Ford and Multimatic, the new Mustang GTD is a limited model built to take on the best of European sports cars and will be the quickest roadgoing Mustang yet. 

Production starts at the Ford Flat Rock assembly plant before the car is transported to Multimatic facilities in Markham, Canada, where it will be handcrafted by teams from both companies. The Mustang GT3, Mustang GT4, and Le Mans Ford GT are also built there. 

The GTD becomes the top-of-the-pile choice in a family of hot new pony cars that includes the recently revealed Mustang GT4, Mustang GT3 and the Mustang Dark Horse R. The styling is worthy of a juggernaut and aerodynamic performance at track speeds. The fenders, bonnet, rear diffuser and roof are all carbon fibre. The C-pillar mounted, hydraulically controlled active rear wing generates high downforce.

An aero package that includes an underbody tray in carbon fibre, and some technology that would be illegal in racing, such as hydraulically controlled front flaps, will be integrated.

Where there once was a boot is now a race-inspired cover hiding a semiactive suspension that can vary both spring rates and ride height by up to 40mm lower in Track mode. Two air scoops funnel air off the back glass into the area and through the heat exchangers.

This rival to BMW M, Mercedes-AMG and Audi RS cars features fuller hips and a 10cm wider wheel track than standard Mustang GT models. Market debut is planned in 2025 with a targeted 597kW output from a supercharged 5.2l V8 engine mated to a rear-mounted, eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The engine has 7,500rpm redline and breathes through a titanium exhaust system with an active valve.

A near 50/50 weight distribution, carbon ceramic brakes and lightweight carbon fibre driveshaft are some of the sporting items fitted, including Brembo high performance brakes inside forged 20-inch magnesium alloy wheels shod with 25mm wide rubber in front and 345mm at the rear — as wide as the rear tyres of a Ford GT supercar.

Ford doesn’t share performance details but says it aims for the Mustang GTD to lap the Nürburgring in a sub-seven-minute time, which is seriously quick. The two-seat cockpit features materials including Miko suede, leather and carbon fibre. Recaro seats, titanium paddle shifters, a rotary dial shifter and a serial plate, all made from retired Lockheed Martin F-22 titanium parts. Digital displays and multiple interior colour combinations, and several special option packages are available.

The Mustang GTD can also be ordered in any colour, or colour-matched to a customer-provided sample. Pricing is expected to begin at about $300,000 (R5.7m).

“This is an aerodynamics-driven design. Our design team worked in conjunction with the Mustang GT3 design team and the aero team, sharing solutions between race car and road car, and vice versa,” said Anthony Colard, Ford Performance design manager.

 “This is like no Mustang ever. This is a new approach for us. We didn’t engineer a road car for the track, we created a race car for the road,” concluded Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO.