Ford Mustang GTD has more power than a McLaren Senna GTR
The GTD is a 200mph Mustang with well over 800bhp from its 5.2-litre supercharged V8
Building on expertise derived from the development of its Mustang GT3 racing car, Ford Performance collaborated with Multimatic to create the limited-run Mustang GTD. While heavily inspired by its track-only relative, the model is homologated for road use, and takes advantage of the lack of class-related restrictions imposed on the racer. Following its European debut at Le Mans, Ford announced that first European cars will enter production in mid-2025, costing each buyer from £315,000.
Named after the IMSA GTD racing class (the ‘D’ standing for ‘Daytona’), the new model is designed purely for outright track performance, with a sub-7 minute Nürburgring lap the ultimate goal. With backing from Multimatic, the firm responsible for everything from the recent Mustang GT3 to the Le Mans-winning Ford GT, there’s some fascinating cutting-edge technology under its carbonfibre skin.
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In place of a practical boot space is the GTD’s semi-active DSSV (Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve) Multimatic suspension and transaxle cooling system, with the former first introduced on the Ford GT. Thanks to hydraulic control, the system can alter ride height by almost 40mm on the fly, with the driver also able to adjust spring rate to suit the conditions. There's even a neat window where the rear seats would usually be, putting its high-tech suspension proudly on display.
On the front axle, Multimatic opted for short-long arm suspension for an increase in lateral stiffness, with the multi-link rear suspension utilising an integral link pushrod and rocker arm architecture, arranging those trick inboard shock absorbers and springs in a horizontal cross pattern.
Ford’s GT3 racing car for the road has had some cold, hard numbers attached. Though we already knew the track-honed special was going to have more than 800bhp, Ford has now confirmed final numbers for the GTD’s 5.2-litre supercharged V8: 815bhp, or more power than a McLaren Senna GTR.
Ford has also confirmed a 664lb ft torque figure and a top speed of 202mph. The marque has made it quite clear which car the Ford Mustang GTD is taking aim at, though until now, hasn’t gone as far as actually naming it…
Greg Goodall, Mustang GTD chief programme engineer, said: ‘GTD's heart is its supercharged 5.2-litre V8, packing more horsepower per litre than the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
‘We’ve been laser-focused since Day One to make Mustang GTD the first ever supercar with world-class performance and the soul of a Mustang.’
The V8 is a development of the one found in the previous-generation Mustang GT500, though its 7650rpm rev limit is 100rpm higher than before. It features a revised intake and exhaust – the latter made from titanium as standard – as well as a smaller supercharger pulley and a dry-sump oil system.
That 202mph top speed is also aided in part by the GTD’s drag reduction system, which can stall the rear wing as well as flaps under the front of the car.
Driving the rear wheels only via an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, the GTD also gets a new Variable Traction Control system, available in track mode and designed to make its high output as accessible as possible.
While its design is a clear evolution of the latest Mustang GT, the vast majority of its bodywork is new, constructed from carbonfibre for weight savings. Elements such as a carbonfibre driveshaft (also seen in the GT500) keep weight to a minimum, while reducing the centre of gravity and contributing to near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Dramatic aero aside, a track width almost four inches wider than that of the standard Mustang GT certainly gives it some visual purpose.
At each corner are 20-inch forged aluminium or magnesium wheels wrapped in mammoth 325 and 345-section tyres front and rear – for comparison, the Ford GT’s rear tyres are the same width as the GTD’s fronts. Behind those wheels are Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, equipped with cooling ducts at the rear below that trick new suspension.
Strict regulations prevent GT3 racers from utilising nifty active aerodynamic solutions, but the GTD doesn’t follow those rules. In addition to a new vented bonnet, louvred arches and an aggressive fixed front splitter, the rear wing is hydraulically controlled, with an optional aerodynamics package adding a carbonfibre undertray complete with hydraulically controlled flaps for optimum balance. Also beneath the rear wing is a unique boot lid featuring dual air scoops to direct air through the transaxle’s heat exchangers.
Inside, Ford has opted for track-oriented ‘Miko suede’ (an Alcantara alternative), with leather and carbonfibre also featured throughout. Rear seats are removed for weight savings and an increase in cargo space, with the front two swapped for supportive Recaro items. The paddle shifters are 3D-printed from titanium, with the rotary shifter and numbered plaque made from retired parts from none other than Lockheed Martin’s F-22 fighter jet.
The Ford Mustang GTD will be available to a limited number of customers in the US for $300,000, and will begin to hit the road towards the end of 2024. Order books for Europe and Asia have only just opened, with these cars costing from £315,000. All examples will begin life at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, before Multimatic applies its touches in Markham, Canada.
