All-New Ford Mustang Offers a Visceral Driving Experience

Photo Source: Ford

Ford named the 2025 Mustang GTD after the International Motor Sports Association’s (IMSA) GTD racing class. Since the Mustang GTD has no racing restrictions, it also has characteristics Ford is not permitted to put into its race cars. The result is a supercar that seems more than capable of giving more exotic automakers a run for their money, just like the Le Mans-winning GT did, as well as meeting Ford’s stated goal of a sub-seven-minute lap around the famed Nurburgring.

Under the Hood

Power comes from a GTD-specific variant of Ford’s supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine with 7,500 revolutions per minute, dual air inlets, and a dry-sump engine oil system; the latter is the first application of such technology in a road-legal Mustang. Moreover, the manufacturer targets over 800 horsepower to make it the highest-horsepower street-legal Mustang ever developed. The engine is connected to the GTD vehicle’s eight-speed dual-clutch rear transmission via a carbon-fiber driveshaft, which Ford claims helps the GTD achieve a nearly 50/50 weight distribution. Even more impressively, a titanium active-valve exhaust is optional.

The car’s suspension provides independently adjustable spring rates and ride height, while the automobile’s track is almost four inches wider than that of the Mustang GT. It is also more than an inch and a half lower than the Mustang GT when in Track mode. Up front, the suspension is a short-long arm setup. In the back, the Blue Oval devised an even more extravagant arrangement, giving the GTD a horizontally mounted pushrod setup with an integrated tubular subframe. To fit all that equipment, Ford put it where the trunk would traditionally be, along with cooling for the transaxle and more.

Speaking of Track mode, drivers can also adjust the traction control on a whim via steering wheel controls, permitting real-time tweaks to the level of automated intervention. In addition, the 325-millimeter-wide front tires and 345-millimeter-wide rear tires should offer ample grip.

Aerodynamics are Pivotal

A trick suspension and power are not the only things the Mustang GTD has up its sleeve. Weight and aerodynamics also play a crucial role in getting it around a track as rapidly as possible. According to Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, the company was meticulous in analyzing all aspects of the car’s efficiency: “We obsessed about the racing technology under its skin. What makes it go is even more compelling than what you can see when it passes you by. When you look at the engineering, the aerodynamics, how the powertrain works, the Mustang GTD is a rocketship for the road.”

For example, the standard 20-inch wheels are made of magnesium for durability and lightness. Since there is no functional trunk, rather than a trunk lid, there is an integrated cover established out of carbon fiber. As a matter of fact, the hood, roof, front splitter, door sills, rear diffuser, and fenders are all carbon fiber, and carbon-fiber front and rear fascias are available, as well. Besides the suspension, the once-functional trunk space also contains a hydraulic control system that adjusts the available mounted wing and front flaps – active aerodynamic components that are not legal in most racing series. Indeed, the front flaps are part of a larger optional aerodynamic package that also incorporates a motorsports-inspired carbon-fiber underbody tray.

The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD will be available in late 2024 or early 2025 and is undoubtedly a customized speedster wholly designed to attract buyers and break records. If you are impressed by Ford’s latest venture, please visit NYE Ford. You are more than welcome to take a look at our current inventory, and if you need any help, we have a trained service team to assist you with financial suggestions to help make paying for a vehicle easier.