After presenting the Mustang GT3 in the second week of June, Ford Performance confirmed the rumors and revealed this Friday (17/08) the new Mustang GTD . This is yet another special version debuting exclusively for select customers, in a limited edition of just 100 units. GTD will be the most “radical” option in the Mustang portfolio , having active aerodynamics and several features reminiscent of racing cars. The Mustang GTD was born when a handful of Ford team members came together in 2021 for a new after-hours mission that on paper seemed like an impossible dream: designing a Mustang to take on the best of European sports cars. Jim Farley, Ford President and CEO, said: “This is a new approach for us. We didn’t design a road car for the track, we created a race car for the road. The Mustang GTD takes the racing technology of our Mustang GT3 race car, wraps it in a Mustang carbon fiber body, and launches it onto the street.”
Around here, the GTD version was heavily inspired by the Mustang GT3 that is scheduled to race at Le Mans next year. Right away we can see that the new version of the Muscle Car is wider, thanks to the new aerodynamic body kit that includes a front bumper with a redesigned spoiler, side skirts, rear extractor and a gigantic spoiler installed just above the trunk.
“Our design team worked closely with the Mustang GT3 design team and the aerodynamics team, sharing solutions between race car and road car and vice versa. This is a design driven by aerodynamics,” comments Anthony Colard, Ford Performance design manager .
The Mustang GTD leverages the extensive use of carbon fiber body panels to reduce weight, lower the center of gravity and improve responsiveness. The fenders, hood, trunk lid replacement, door sills, front splitter, rear diffuser and roof are all carbon fiber with optional carbon fiber front and rear panels.
Under the hood, the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine will deliver more than 800 hp , making this Mustang the strongest ever built by the manufacturer. The mechanical assembly features a titanium exhaust with an active valve system. The gearbox – installed at the rear – will be an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic combined with rear-wheel drive.
The mechanical set still comes with a semi-active suspension that can adjust spring rates and height, a high-performance engine and gearbox cooling system, carbon- ceramic brakes signed by the Brembo brand and 20-inch forged aluminum wheels shod with sports tires focused on track performance.
The new Ford Mustang GTD will cost around $300,000 – approximately R$1.5 million in a direct conversion excluding taxes – and will be available with various interior color combinations and in several special option packages. Designed and developed as a collaboration between Ford and Multimatic – the company that developed the Mustang GT3, Mustang GT4 and Le Mans-winning Ford GT – the American manufacturer hopes to elevate Mustang’s position as the most competitive and well-executed flagship. -successful of the brand.