New hardcore Ford Mustang GTD appears at 2023 Monterey Car Week
Ford’s most extreme Mustang yet features tech banned from international motor sport
Ford has revealed its most extreme road-legal Mustang ever, going beyond the wild world of Shelby GT500s and instead taking direct engineering inspiration from its GT racing department in the creation of its new Mustang GTD.
Due to this close quarters development with the GT3 race car, much of the GTD’s development has been undertaken by Multimatic, the Canadian race car manufacturing company that not only developed the racer, but also Ford’s Le Mans-winning GT LM and the corresponding GT road cars. As such, there are a lot of racing-derived elements to this most extreme of Mustangs.
As a result, the GTD’s aggressive new design hides numerous technical changes compared to standard Mustangs, starting with the engine. Under the bonnet sits a 5.2-litre V8 engine that’s supercharged and features a dry sump oil lubrication system, a first for any Mustang. It’ll rev to a 7500rpm redline, and features a valved titanium exhaust system.
Ford has not confirmed exact power figures, but estimates around 800bhp. The V8 is connected through a carbon fibre prop shaft to a rear transaxle that contains an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and a limited slip differential. This is another first for a Mustang, and helps it achieve a 50-50 weight balance.
The suspension has been completely redesigned, and features a race-inspired pushrod setup that places the semi-active springs and dampers in-board on a motorsport-inspired subframe. The suspension is able to be hydraulically adjusted for spring rate and ride height, and features spool-valve dampers. Finally, the track itself has been widened by a further 40mm, with massive 325-section front and 345-section rear tyres wrapped around a set of 20-inch forged aluminium, or optional magnesium wheels. Behind these sit a set of carbon ceramic brakes sourced from Brembo.
The Mustang’s bodywork and aero package has also been fundamentally changed, directly referencing the GT3 racer. The carbon fibre body features a similar combination of vents and intakes to the racer, including its slatted front wings that reduce pressure inside the front wheel arches. The aero package can be fitted with an optional c-pillar mounted rear wing that works in conjunction with the front splitter, skirts and rear diffuser. It also has a flat underfloor, all working together to create extreme downforce at high speeds.
Ford has not published any performance data or figures, but is targeting a sub-7 minute time at the Nurburgring – a time achievable only by the most track-focused of super and hypercars. Ford has confirmed that Mustang GTD will be going on sale in the UK, but the extremely limited build run has meant the brand will run a ballot system for potential owners in a similar fashion to the GT.
Pricing in the US starts at around $300,000 (£235,990), with production due to commence at Multimatic’s Canadian headquarters from the end of 2024.
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