{"id":93224,"date":"2025-10-23T12:29:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T12:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/93224\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T12:29:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T12:29:08","slug":"the-815-hp-ford-mustang-gtd-sets-a-new-benchmark-for-the-model","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/93224\/","title":{"rendered":"The 815 HP Ford Mustang GTD Sets a New Benchmark for the Model"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe model responsible for the pony-car craze, the Ford Mustang<\/a> is an American icon that has always stayed true to its roots of big power in a readily accessible package. Ford<\/a> has come up with many limited-edition variants over the years, each ostensibly special in its own way, but there has never been anything like the new Mustang GTD<\/a>. At first glance, its familiar shape might have you believe that this is just another marketing-led iteration that simply offers a big motor and ever bigger wing. That, though, would be a gross misestimation of a car that is a complete sub-surface reinvention in the Blue Oval\u2019s pursuit of the ultimate track horse.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe 2025 Ford Mustang<\/a> GTD, the fastest version of the model to date.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFord Motor Company<\/p>\n

\t\tDesign\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Ford Mustang casts a familiar shadow. It\u2019s blunt-edged, nose-heavy, big-fendered shape has remained true for generation after generation. Plenty of Mustangs over the years have bolstered that shape with big wings on the rear, but none have received the kind of aerodynamic augmentation seen on the GTD.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis particular wing is a unique design that sees it spring from the C-pillars rather than the trunk. That not only creates a singular look, but also serves the practical benefit of making it easier to run hydraulic lines.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tPlenty of past Mustangs have been given big rear wings, but none have received the kind of aerodynamic augmentation seen on the GTD.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFord Motor Company<\/p>\n

\n\tThat isn\u2019t just a big aerofoil form back there. The wing on the back of the GTD is active, flipping up at speed, just like the drag reduction system (DRS) on a Formula 1 car<\/a>. It not only helps enable this machine\u2019s top speed of 202 mph, but also turns heads every time you pull up to a traffic light.<\/p>\n

\t\tPower Train and Hardware\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile the wing is the most visually dramatic part of the GTD, there\u2019s a lot more interesting stuff happening under the skin. To make a GTD, you start with a standard Mustang, and then you start cutting. The performance gurus at Multimatic, who also crafted the epic Ford GT<\/a>, gut the middle of the car to make way for the most significant change: the addition of a transaxle.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhere all other Mustangs mount their transmissions directly to the back of their engines, the GTD\u2019s transmission sits on the rear axle. This is a common arrangement in many front-engine race cars, designed to shift as much weight as possible to the rear of the car.\u00a0In the case of the GTD, that\u2019s to offset the weight of the 5.2-liter V-8 engine up front, which is largely the same as that found in the GT 500, though now tweaked and tuned to deliver 815 hp and 664 ft lbs of torque.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tYou can sense when the tires are starting to let go and are able to bring it all under control without too much effort. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFord Motor Company<\/p>\n

\n\tThis wholly bespoke drivetrain required some significant changes to the vehicle beyond just cutting a hole in the chassis. The rear suspension also had to be completely rethought, resulting in a unique, lifted, inboard setup that features the left- and right-rear coilover units sitting side by side where the back seats in a typical Mustang would be.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat suspension relies on a pair of springs with two different rates. The softer of the two provides good compliance on the road. Drop the GTD to Track mode, though, and an actuator compresses that spring, lowering the car by 40 mm (1.57 inches) at the front and 30 mm (1.18 inches) at the rear while simultaneously increasing the suspension stiffness to turn it into, for all practical purposes, a race car.<\/p>\n

\t\tPerformance\t<\/p>\n

\n\tPlenty of cars lower themselves as you go from one mode to the next, but it\u2019s a little more dramatic in the GTD. I dial the Mustang over to Track mode, and an instant later the vehicle abruptly squats into position. That\u2019s my first hint that there\u2019s nothing subtle about this car.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tDelivering 664 ft lbs of torque, the supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 allows the car to reach a top speed of 202 mph.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs to be expected, Track is the most extreme of the GTD\u2019s six drive modes, and when it\u2019s selected, the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission has no sympathy for your back, nor does the titanium Akrapovi\u010d\u00a0exhaust spare your ears, as was discovered when pulling out of the pits at the Thermal Club<\/a> in Palm Springs, Calif. The GTD has copious amounts of grip, thanks largely to the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires\u2014on 20-inch wheels\u2014worn by our tester, but, unlike track-only cars, it feels almost playful as you safely push its limits. It won\u2019t snap into oversteer at the rear or fall into terminal understeer at the front. You can sense when the tires are starting to let go and are able to bring it all under control without too much effort. Obviously, with all the traction controls off (and you can turn them all off), it\u2019s a much wilder beast but still remarkably manageable.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tOne downside is that Ford has done barely anything to differentiate the cockpit from that of even the cheapest Mustangs.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFord Motor Company<\/p>\n

\n\tAdmittedly, while equally compliant on public roads, the GTD is a lot less happy at lower speeds, and the same will hold for you. The transmission generally shifts smoothly, but there\u2019s such a racket from that transaxle and limited-slip differential, not to mention a huge amount of road noise coming up through the suspension, that any conversation will sound more like a shouting match out of necessity.<\/p>\n

\t\tIs it Worth It?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile the GTD makes a heck of a good first impression on the outside, the interior is our biggest source of disappointment. Other than a window exposing the rear suspension, Ford did barely anything to differentiate the cockpit. The same unattractive, rubberized fake-carbon-fiber weave still surrounds the same basic button panel found on even the cheapest of Mustangs. That\u2019s a very bitter pill to swallow for a vehicle that starts at around $325,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tFord has come up with many limited-edition Mustang variants over the years, but there has never been anything like the new GTD. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTim Stevens<\/p>\n

\n\tYet if you can get past those shortcomings, the GTD will reward you with absolutely monstrous performance. I\u2019ve driven caged race cars that are less intense and less capable. The Mustang GTD is fast, furious, and deliriously fun, and as with any great entertainer, it left me only wanting more when the show was over.<\/p>\n

\t\tSpecifications\t<\/p>\n

\n\tVehicle Type<\/p>\n

\n\tIn Production Since<\/p>\n

\n\tPower train<\/p>\n

\u00a05.2-liter supercharged V-8: 815 hp, 664 ft lbs of torque<\/p>\n

\n\tPerformance<\/p>\n

\u00a0Zero to 60 mph: 3.0 seconds (estimated)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Top Speed: 202 mph (claimed)<\/p>\n

\n\tPrice<\/p>\n

\n\tClick here<\/a> for more photos of the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe 2025 Ford Mustang GTD takes to the track. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFord Motor Company<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The model responsible for the pony-car craze, the Ford Mustang is an American icon that has always stayed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":93225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[45362,85,46,62654,1529,42018,125],"class_list":["post-93224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ford","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-mustang","tag-review","tag-supercars","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}