OverviewWhen the newest generation of the Ford Mustang debuted, it was practically dripping in race-car perfume. However, just as quickly as the pungent smell of race fuels coming from the Mustang GT4 competition model and GT3 race car—which is destined for the 24 Hours of Le Mans—entered our lungs, a new roadgoing Mustang GTD has entered our hearts. The GTD is a race car that’s been stripped of sanctioning bodies’ restrictions limiting horsepower, weight, and aerodynamic devices during its transformation into a road-legal ride. It’ll keep up with the world’s most expensive exotic sports cars on a track while remaining surprisingly civilized on the road. It’s also the most expensive ‘Stang ever, starting at $327,960, and its extremely limited availability and racing origins make it the Ford GT of Mustangs. What’s New for 2025?There’s never been a Mustang like the Ford Mustang GTD. Using a dry-sump version of the 760-hp Mustang Shelby GT500 engine, the GTD offers 815 horsepower, Ford says, and a price tag that rivals some home property values. What’s Your Car Worth?Car and Driver calculates your car’s value in three free and easy steps – using the same Black Book® data dealers use to appraise vehicles.Get your trade-in valuePricing and Which One to Buy Ford will only produce a limited run of 1000 or so Ford Mustang GTD cars. Similar to the Le Mans-winning GT hypercar program, owners will need to have more clout than cash to take home this prize. Engine, Transmission, and PerformanceThe Mustang GTD gets its name from IMSA’s GTD (Grand Touring Daytona) racing class, within which full-on GT3 race cars compete. That’s the essence of the most powerful Mustang Ford has ever built. With 815 horsepower from its supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine, the roadgoing car actually has far more power than the GT3 race car, which instead uses a 5.4-liter V-8 with around 500 horsepower. Ford says the GTD’s redline is over 7500 rpm. The exhaust trumpets playing this symphony of combustion are titanium pipes with an active valve. Without the technical regulation restrictions from a sanctioning body, the GTD’s road-legal status has allowed Ford to go bucking-bronco wild. Shifting is handled by a rear-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle that receives power via a carbon-fiber driveshaft. Ford says every panel on the GTD is carbon fiber, save for its door skins. It wears an aggressive front splitter, a vented hood hugged by vented fenders, and is available with that C-pillar-mounted and hydraulically-controlled whale tail of a wing. There’s an available aerodynamic-equipment package that adds a carbon fiber underbody tray and hydraulically-controlled front flaps that help balance airflow and front-to-rear downforce. Ford says tech like that isn’t allowed in sanctioned GT3-class racing. The trunk is now a treasure box of suspension and cooling components, so forget bringing luggage to track-day events. Two giant air scoops direct air from the rear window area down into heat exchangers in what used to be the trunk to help cool the transaxle. Multimatic’s adaptive suspension crowns the transaxle, using race-type pushrod suspension and the latest in adaptive spool valve shocks to enable as much control for drivers as possible. In Track Mode, the hydraulically actuated springs drop the ride height by roughly 1.5 inches. The Mustang GTD uses 325mm wide tires in front with 345mm rubbers in the rear. Standard wheels are 20-inch forged aluminum, but optional magnesium wheels help shave weight while helping maintain the GT3 race-car look with their design. Unlike the racecar, these wheels are five-lug instead of center-locking, but the racing spirit remains very much alive, as the wheels are wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. In our test drive of the Mustang GTD, we were blown away by its performance and also surprised at how civilized the ride quality is on the road. We wished for a bit more feedback from the steering, but the supremely balanced handling and staggering levels of grip made for a world-class driving experience.0–60-MPH TimesIn our testing, the Mustang GTD with the Performance package sprinted to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. That beats the old GT500 by a significant margin.More on the Mustang GTD CoupeFuel Economy and Real-World MPGThe Ford Mustang GTD prioritizes lap times over fuel economy, as the roar from its mighty supercharged V-8 quickly reveals. As a result, the GTD can only manage a pitiful 10 mpg in the city, 17 mpg on the highway, and 12 mpg combined, according to the EPA.Interior, Comfort, and CargoThough it’ll look every bit like the race car on the outside, the GTD’s cabin will have some street-car touches. Suede, leather, and carbon fiber are the main ingredients in the Ford Mustang GTD’s interior dish. It sports Recaro bucket front seats, but sacrifices rear cushions for weight reduction and a bit of cargo space. The paddle shifters are 3D-printed from titanium, same for the rotary dial gear selector and serial placard, and Ford says the material sourced from those components was cut from a retired Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter jet. There are multiple interior color and equipment options, which will likely make for some interesting bespoke liveries that will vary greatly between customers. Infotainment and ConnectivityThe Mustang GTD has the same digital gauge cluster and 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen as the standard Mustang. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment. Though the system is largely the same, it does offer more performance menus that are specific to the GTD. The Car and Driver DifferenceSafety and Driver-Assistance FeaturesAs you’d expect of a car like this, the GTD doesn’t have many driver-assistance features, but it does have a lane-keep assist system and automatic emergency braking. It’s also not likely to be subjected to crash testing by the IIHS or the NHTSA due to its low-volume production status.Warranty and Maintenance Coverage Ford hasn’t released specific warranty information about the Mustang GTD, but we assume it will have the same coverage as other Ford models.
- Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Ford Mustang GTD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $327,960/$367,960
Options: Performance package, $40,000
ENGINE
supercharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 315 in3, 5163 cm3
Power: 815 hp @ 7400 rpm
Torque: 664 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 16.5-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/14.6-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R
F: 325/30ZR-20 (102Y) FP
R: 345/30ZR-20 (106Y) FP
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.1 in
Length: 193.6 in
Width: 81.7 in
Height: 55.5 in
Passenger Volume: 52 ft3
Curb Weight: 4404 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 2.8 sec
100 mph: 6.1 sec
130 mph: 10.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 10.6 sec @ 133 mph
150 mph: 14.4 sec
170 mph: 21.0 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 2.9 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.7 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.0 sec
Top Speed (mfr claim): 202 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 132 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 262 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.17 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 56 dBA/10 sone
Full Throttle: 93 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 78 dBA/40 sone
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 12/10/17 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Source: caranddriver.com
