Ford has unveiled its most extreme and powerful Mustang ever with the new ‘GTD’.
Looking to take the fight to European challengers like Porsche and Lamborghini, the GTD was an ‘after-hours’ project designed to showcase what Ford was capable of.
Based on the latest generation of Mustang, due to arrive in Europe in fairly small numbers next year, the GTD is said to have a very different character to other models in this muscle car’s range. Developed by Ford’s motorsport team, ahead of the Mustang returning to Le Mans next year, the GTD gets imposing styling with a huge front splitter and significant rear spoiler that dominates the rear of the car.
Where the boot of the Mustang would normally be is instead an advanced hydraulic control suspension system, along with improved cooling features.
The GTD also uses a bespoke 5.2-litre V8 engine (up from the usual 5.0 litre unit), which is ‘targeting more than 800bhp’, the firm has said. That makes it comfortably the most powerful road-going Mustang to leave the factory. Drive is delivered to the rear wheels using an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Other key details on the GTD include the option of lightweight magnesium alloy wheels, while Brembo ceramic brakes are fitted as standard.
Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, said: “The Mustang GTD shatters every preconceived notion of a supercar. 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. The Mustang GTD takes racing technology from our Mustang GT3 race car, wraps it in a carbon fiber Mustang body and unleashes it for the street.”
Meet the first-ever @FordMustang GTD. An American icon reimagined to take on the world’s best. https://t.co/EgPRpKX3RH
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 18, 2023
Ford is pricing the Mustang GTD from $300,000 (£236,000) in America. It hasn’t officially said if the model will be sold in the UK, but given its ‘European’ focus, it will likely be available in small numbers. Production is set to begin in late 2024.
