The Mustang GTD is set to be the new Ford Flex – an 800-horsepower, DRS-equipped Nurburgring stormer that beat the 7-minute lap time record.
In today’s world, cars seem built to save polar bears while stuffing as many screens in the interior as possible; Ford focused on pushing the envelope on their world-famous gas-guzzling pony car – the Mustang. The soon-to-be-released Mustang GTD was designed with one purpose in mind: to melt the asphalt at the hallowed Nurburgring and dethrone the Porsche 911 on its home turf with a sub-7-minute lap time.
This begs the question: why would Ford go through all this trouble? Are they conveying, “Hey guys, we know that we made an electric SUV and called it a Mustang, and we’re sorry about that, so we decided to go full send and develop what is possibly the world’s greatest Mustang”? Actually, no.
This is the latest chapter in a heritage that started in 1966 when Ford won Le Mans with a 1-2-3 picture finish in the famous GT40. There’s even a Hollywood movie about it, which is worth seeing if you haven’t already. Fast forward 50 years, and after the #68 Ford GT won the class at the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours, it felt natural that this tradition should continue after the GT was regretfully decommissioned in 2022.
Enter the Mustang GT3, Ford’s attempt to reintroduce the famous pony car to endurance racing, which also proved successful with a podium finish under a privateer squad at the 2024 Le Mans 24h. Do you see? All Mustang memes were due to driver error, not the car itself. However, Ford CEO Jim Farley had grander plans for the Mustang, which he intended to pursue far into supercar territory.
“Mustang GTD shatters every preconceived notion of a supercar,” the designer claims. “This is a new strategy for us. We did not design a road car for the track but rather a race vehicle for the road. Mustang GTD harnesses racing technology from our Mustang GT3 race car wraps it in a carbon-fiber Mustang body, and unleashes it on the street.”
Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that it’s a mighty beast; the 800+ horsepower produced by the Coyote-based 5.2-litre supercharged V8 speaks for itself. Combine that with a hydraulically powered active aero with DRS. Yes, F1 aficionados, you heard correctly. DRS. Ford now has a Drag Reduction System, which can change the angle of the rear wing and activate flaps under the front of the car on the fly, as well as close the main wing element and flap, essentially creating a “singular” surface that generates downforce on the rear of the vehicle, keeping the Mustang GTD glued to high-speed corners like a gecko on a garden wall.
Remember that half of what is written here is prohibited in actual GT3 racing out of fairness to the other racers. Greg Goodall, the head engineer of this piece of craziness, stated, “Our Le Mans drivers would love to have the technology Mustang GTD has for the track and street.” Enough said.
Unfortunately, Ford has not provided a delivery date for this force of nature; instead, it is teasing enthusiasts with the nebulous “early 2025,” so anticipate it soon. Ford intends to issue only a thousand cars priced at $325,000 (about AED1.2 million). Who is the Mustang GTD suited for?
That’s a simple answer: nobody. It was never intended to sell in large numbers. Ford’s Mustang GTD was an engineering flex, demonstrating they could still compete with the Europeans on and off the track while maintaining their Americana flair. A flagship for the ages, a truly crazy invention from Ford, which we aficionados are overjoyed to behold. Let’s hope some of the lucky owners drive them.