Ford Mustang GTD is a true race car for the road

So what is it? Quite simply, the ultimate road-going Mustang for the ages, completely re-engineered and sharing very little with the rest of the family of prized ponies. Resembling much more the Mustang GT3 we suspect it homologates, the GTD is so much wider – just under four inches, in fact – clad in carbon fibre bodywork and fitted with that monster GT3-style swan-neck wing, gargantuan mouth and splitter. The big-bore exhausts protruding from the giant diffuser, the nostrilled ‘hood’ and 20-inch optional magnesium wheels complete the look.

Like the GT too with which it shares its skunkworks origins (they were developed in the same hovel under Ford HQ), the GTD will be built by Multimatic, with the chassis being shipped all the way to the race outfit’s Canadian base from Michigan.

What about that monster mill? The long and the short of it is that this is an upgraded version of the supercharged 5.2-litre V8 that last served in the previous GT500. The target for its development is 800PS, with an optional titanium exhaust for optimised vocals.

What it isn’t, as some of the rumours have suggested, is mid-engined. Not really. The engine is behind the front axle – much further back than in a regular Mustang – but it’s still forward of the cab. They got it that far back by moving to a prop-and-transaxle transmission layout, freeing up space and perfecting weight distribution. It’s this that we suspect the GTD homologates for the race car. 

Indeed, that eight-speed dual-clutch box is mounted within a very GT3 tubular rear subframe, to which the inbored pushrod rocker-arm rear suspension is also mounted. Multimatic’s clever adaptive dampers make an appearance, too. In track mode, the Mustang GTD can drop by as much as 40mm.

In terms of the aero, that ride height drop activates the flat floor, which complements the splitter and hydraulically actuated wing. Hydraulic flaps in the floor at the front balance the platform out.

On the inside, it’s Mustang as you know it, but also not. There’s no rear seating – thank weight saving and the need for luggage space for that. Yes, the rear substructure is now where you used to put your shopping. Plus, with that wing, it’d be a bit difficult to open the boot lid, which is now just vents between the lights for the rear-mounted cooling. This really is a different animal to the standard car… Sorry, back to the cabin. Recaro seats are a given, though F22 Raptor parts weren’t necessarily. Yes, the paddle shifters, rotary dial shifter and serial plate are all made from titanium repurposed from retired fighter jets. Struth.

Surely, then, such a comprehensive rework means it’ll be supercar fast and supercar expensive and supercar rare? Correct. A comfortably sub-7-minute predicted Nürburgring time plays a starting price of £236,945, with production numbers yet to be announced. That’s actually not too bad, given most Porsche 911 GT3 RS buyers will be parting with as much after options.

So what do you think of the new Ford Mustang GTD? Not since the GR Yaris have we seen a new road car so entrenched in motorsport, with almost nothing held back. Needless to say, we love it and would love dearly to get it on track alongside the aforementioned Porsche…