Maximum Mustang: The Mustang GTD Is an 800-hp Racer for the Street

The Shelby GT500 is a famously fast Mustang, but this new Mustang GTD looks to be the peak combustion Mustang.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

August 21, 2023

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Mustang GTD on Track 4.jpg

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2025 Ford Mustang GTDFord Motor Co.

If combustion-powered enthusiast cars are headed to the metaphorical junkyard, Ford is ensuring that its legendary Mustang goes out on a high note, with the introduction of the Mustang GTD.

It is an 800-horsepower race-replica packing technology that isn't even legal in racing to create the fastest production Mustang in history.

The GTD is packing incredible upgrades from other Mustang models, including the speedy Dark Horse. These include lightweight carbon fiber bodywork, 800-horsepower (estimated) supercharged 5.2-liter V8, a rear-mounted 8-speed dual-clutch transaxle, an active rear wing, double wishbone front suspension in place of the regular MacPherson struts, pushrod-actuated inboard rear suspension in place of the regular car’s multi-link arrangement, available forged magnesium wheels and titanium exhaust, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, and more.

There are goodies inside the car too, to remind the driver of the amazing hardware beneath the skin. This includes 3D-printed paddle shifters, rotary dial shifter, and serial number plate made using titanium salvaged from scrapped Lockheed F-22 fighter jet parts.

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The Mustang GTD's rear wing switches between a high-downforce, high-drag position and a low-downforce, low-drag position.

“Mustang GTD shatters every preconceived notion of a supercar,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “This is a new approach for us. We didn’t engineer a road car for the track, we created a race car for the road. Mustang GTD takes racing technology from our Mustang GT3 race car, wraps it in a carbon fiber Mustang body, and unleashes it for the street.”

The car was created when Farley was inspecting the company’s program to develop the Mustang GT3 race car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and asked what it would take to create a street-legal version of that machine for customers.

The GTD is the result. It takes its name from the racing category in which the Mustang GT3 competes.

Ford partnered with Multimatic to build the GTD. That’s the same company that supplies the Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) shock absorbers and that builds the 2016-present Ford GT and the Mustang GT3 race cars.

The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD will be available in late 2024 or early 2025, with a list price of $300,000. Click through the photo gallery for additional details.

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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