“I want to see Porsche, I want to see Aston Martin, I want to see Mercedes sweat. This warlike phrase could no doubt have been uttered during the 1960s by Zora Arkus-Duntov when he supervised the development of a Chevrolet Corvette near a race track. However, it was dropped by current Ford boss Jim Farley just a few weeks ago to announce the major mission of an all-new Mustang, the GTD.
No, it’s not a Mustang Boss, Mach 1 or Shelby that the blue oval brand unveiled to cap the original “pony car” lineup. The GTD, whose name is directly borrowed from a category of the American motor racing championship IMSA, marks the birth of a variation that does not seek to take root in tradition. Its body entirely made of carbon fiber bears witness to this.
Cut to generate the most downforce possible, it is composed of an infinite amount of details from the world of racing. To reduce drag, its rear spoiler fixed to the pillars of the vehicle can be adjusted continuously and in accordance with hydraulically controlled front flaps.
The chassis of this Mustang has also been extensively redesigned. One of the most spectacular changes is probably at the rear. Lifting the trunk lid reveals the horizontally recumbent pushrod shock absorbers, a configuration necessary to integrate the transmission which has been placed on the rear axle to properly distribute the masses, a first for a Mustang. Without advancing the total weight of the object, Ford estimates that it is almost perfectly distributed between the front and the rear. Huge Michelin Cup 2 R runners, 325 mm wide at the front and 345 mm wide at the rear, take care of the traction, a complex task given the immense brute force of its engine.
Because, you see, this Mustang GTD is powered by the most powerful heart Ford has ever made. Its supercharged, dry-sump 5.2L V8—another first for a Mustang—targets more than 800 horsepower. It is supported by an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The two mechanical parts are linked by a carbon fiber transmission shaft.
Ford Canada couldn’t tell us how many copies of this Mustang GTD will be offered in the country, but did say that it will be in limited production. Its starting price of US$300,000 will obviously make it the most expensive Mustang ever produced when the first hand-assembled examples – by Multimatic in Ontario – roll out of the shops in late 2024.