12 Things About the Mustang GTD That Are Mustang 'Firsts'
The Mustang has been around for 60 years, but these 12 things on the GTD have never been seen before in Mustang history.
Intro
Earlier this year Ford celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Mustang. It has been around a long time, so while a new Mustang may have a couple of new features, the basic formula is essentially the same. But not for the Mustang GTD. The GTD is closer to a GT3 race car than it is to any road-going Mustang the world has ever seen. The Mustang GTD is loaded with things that no other Mustang since 1964 has ever had. We compiled a list of 12 of these Mustang ‘firsts’ that we think illustrate just how radical and different this Mustang is. And believe it or not, this list is not comprehensive. There are still more Mustang firsts in the GTD. But we think these are the 12 most important.
1. $325K+ Price
Let’s start with the bad news. The MSRP for the Mustang GTD starts at $325,000. That is FIVE TIMES the price of the second most expensive Mustang for sale right now, the Dark Horse Premium. It is the first Mustang to have a price point this high. And the high price is only part of the problem if you want a GTD of your own. Ford has to approve your application to buy one. So, you need a lot of money and a lot of connections to buy a GTD. That is a first for a Ford Mustang.
2. Over 800 Horsepower
The Mustang GTD is the most powerful factory Ford Mustang ever. No other street-legal Mustang ever left the factory with more than 800 horsepower, but the GTD packs 815. The 5.2L supercharged V8 also comes with 664 pound-feet of torque. Will future Mustangs have this sort of power? Maybe, but if they do, it will likely be with some sort of electric assistance. As a purely internal combustion-powered Mustang, we may never see one more powerful than this.
3. Dry Sump Oil System
The GTD comes with the first dry sump engine oil system fitted to a roadgoing Mustang. A dry sump helps keep the engine lubricated during sustained and demanding cornering. And the Mustang GTD is certainly capable of sustained and demanding cornering. Other vehicles that have this sort of system include the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lamborghini Aventador. That is the type of company this GTD can hang with.
4. Semi-Active Cantilever Suspension
Perhaps the most impressive bit of a car made up of nothing but impressive bits is the suspension. The GTD has a semi-active suspension that can vary both spring rates and ride height. The adaptive spool valve damper technology with hydraulically actuated dual spring rate and height suspension provides the best on-road and on-track performance independently. The suspension settings allow for a nearly 40 mm lower ride height in Track Mode. The rear suspension features an integral link pushrod and rocker arm where the inboard Adaptive Spool Valve shock absorbers and coil-over springs are arranged in a horizontal cross pattern and integrated with a tubular subframe. Translation: It is the best-handling Mustang ever.
5. Rear Transaxle
The Mustang GTD features an 8-speed dual-clutch rear transaxle and carbon fiber driveshaft. This helps the car achieve a near 50/50 weight distribution. It also helps the car put all that power to the ground. No previous Mustang has ever had this setup.
6. Carbon Fiber Body
The Mustang GTD is the first Mustang to be built with the extensive use of carbon fiber. The fenders, hood, cover that replaces the trunk lid, door sills, front splitter, rear diffuser, and roof are all carbon fiber. If that is not enough, you can option carbon fiber front and rear fascias. If you add the aero package the car gets an underbody aerodynamic tray that is also carbon fiber.
7. Magnesium Wheels
There have been Ford Mustangs with steel wheels, aluminum wheels and even carbon fiber wheels. But the GTD is the first to be offered with forged magnesium wheels. These 20-inch wheels are not only durable, but they are very light. And they are designed to look like the wheels on the GT3 race car.
8. Active Aerodynamics
To help strike the perfect balance between drag and grip, the Mustang GTD uses active aerodynamics. There are hydraulically controlled front flaps to manage airflow as well as a large active rear wing. These components work together with special flaps that open and close under its body to create a drag reduction system that is similar to what is used in Formula One racing.
9. No Trunk
There has never been a factory Ford Mustang without a rear trunk. Until now. The area that is typically used for the trunk is filled with the semi-active suspension, a hydraulic control system, and a transaxle cooling system. The regular trunk lid is not even retained on the GTD. Instead, there is a carbon fiber cover with two air scoops to funnel air off the back glass into the area and through the heat exchangers.
10. Hand Built
Regular Mustangs are assembled at the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Detroit, Michigan. They are put together using robots and other automation tools, just like almost every other street-legal production car. But the Mustang GTD will only start life at the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant. It then will be transported to Multimatic facilities in Markham, Canada, where it will be handcrafted by the Ford Performance and Multimatic teams. It is the first factory Mustang to be hand-built.
11. Standard Carbon Ceramic Brakes
Brembo carbon ceramic brakes come standard on the GTD. Even the 760 horsepower Shelby GT500 used traditional steel brakes. But the GTD gets the carbon brakes for their reduced weight and increased heat rejection ability. To further aid in brake cooling the rear brakes have cooling ducts mounted below the rear suspension.
12. Sub 7-Minute Nürburgring Lap Time
OK, so all this sounds impressive, but what does it really mean? Well, it just lapped the Nürburgring faster than any other car from an American brand with a time of 6:57.685. The Mustang GTD is only the sixth stock, production sports car to complete an officially certified sub-seven-minute lap of the 12.9-mile, 73-turn course. Forget about other Mustangs turning a lap this fast, almost no other production car on earth is this fast. And as impressive as this is, the Ford team believes that under better conditions, the GTD can be even faster. They will go back next year to prove it.
The Mustang GTD is quite simply the most impressive Mustang ever created.
Images: Ford
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