Ford shook up the supercar community with their huge reveal of the Mustang GTD, a $300,000 supercar variation of the most recent S650 Mustang. Many prepared themselves for the prophesized mid-engine Mustang, but to everyone’s great surprise, the engine remains in the same place as the S650s.

Ford execs state that the Mustang GTD is a direct answer to high-priced, high-performance European supercars and that they plan to reestablish the Ford name in worldwide performance and speed, as the Mustang GTD is set to compete with Porsche, Aston Martin, And Mecedes-Benz.

Neat fact: Ford owned Aston Martin from 1987-2007.

According to Ford's top brass, the idea of a Mustang supercar has been long in the making, but the recent retirement of the legendary supercar, the Ford GT, set the stage to move forward with the GTD. A limited run of 1000–2000 examples of the Mustang supercar will be produced, and insiders are already predicting Ford will sell every single one of them.

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The Mustang GTD Is Made By Ford Performance And Multimatic Motorsports

The Mustang GTD starts its journey as a run-of-the-mill S650 Mustang from the Ford plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. Directly after base production is complete, the S650 Mustang is sent to Markham, Canada, where it’s then put in the very experienced hands of Multimatic Motorsports, a dedicated performance firm and the manufacturers of the iconic Ford GT. In conjunction with Ford Performance, Multimatic handcrafts the GTD for Ford’s race-inspired precision.

The Multimatic and Ford Performance teams join forces to completely overhaul the S650 Mustang. This includes giving the entire vehicle a carbon fiber wide body kit with active aerodynamic functions and features. The aggressive venting and prominent race-inspired styling dictate the true intentions of the Mustang GTD, which is to go fast and look good doing so.

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Ford's Motorsport Efforts Are On Full Display

Though the super Mustang GTD is inspired by the recent line of 2024 S650 Mustangs, its sensibilities liken more to those of the Mustang GT3 race car. The Mustang GT3 is set to compete in the 24 Hours Of Daytona before heading to the 24 Hours Of Le Mans, a prestigious endurance race that Ford dominated in the 1960s with the GT40.

And though the engine is in the same place, it bears little to no resemblance to the gen-four Coyote V-8s featured in the seventh generation S650 Stangs. More or less, the GTD features a modified version of the Supercharged 5.2-liter V-8, dubbed the Predator, featured in the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500.

2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 Performance Specs

The V-8 in the Mustang GTD produced an eye-watering 800 horsepower, beating the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 by 40 horses. Those extra 40 horses are only amplified by the insane amount of race parts and race-inspired design.

The GTD is, for lack of a better example, the street-legal version of the GT3 race car. The active aerodynamics employed in the GTD are illegal in the series that the GT3 is set to compete in, meaning they each occupy a space where neither is allowed entry, showcasing Ford’s ability to sell the Pony on and off the street.

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The Mustang GTD Features A More Powerful Engine Than The Dark Horse

The seventh-gen S650 Mustangs reached the market earlier this year, with the performance and track variation, Dark Horse, joining the line-up. Many considered the Dark Horse to be the big reveal among the seventh-gen Mustangs. With its extensive aftermarket receipt and gen-four 500-horsepower Coyote V-8, enthusiasts firmly believed Ford hit the mark in terms of performance.

There was much speculation surrounding mid-engine Mustang rumors, but no one expected the GTD to arrive in such fashion, boasting absolute top-of-the-line performance specs and extreme active aerodynamic features, as opposed to the 2024 Mustangs.

And though the engine is in the same place, it bears little to no resemblance to the gen-four Coyote V-8 featured in the seventh generation S650 Dark Horse. More or less, the GTD features a modified version of the Supercharged 5.2-liter V-8, dubbed the Predator, featured in the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500.

The V-8 in the Mustang GTD produced an eye-watering 800 horsepower, beating the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 by 40 horses. Those extra 40 horses are only amplified by the insane amount of race parts and race-inspired design. The 800-horsepower V-8 is accompanied by a TREMEC eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle, bespoke suspension, and Multimatic Adaptive Spool-Valve (ASV) dampers.

The GTD features a transaxle cooler mounted on the trunk lid that chills the gearbox, fitting a transaxle that connects to the front-mounted engine via carbon fiber prop shafts, shifting the balance of the weight rearward. Ford claims the GTD boasts a 50/50 weight distribution from front to rear. For reference, the 2022 Shelby GT500’s recorded weight distribution from front to back is 56.6/43.4.

Mustang GTD Notable Features

• Supercharged 5.2-liter V-8
• Multimatic Adaptive Spool-Valve dampers
• TREMEC eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle
• Large carbon ceramic brake rotors
• Carbon fiber body
• Active aerodynamics
• Bespoke suspension
• 50/50 weight distribution

The Multimatic ASV dampers pair with the unequal-length control-arm front suspension, while the rear end uses a pushrod-style multilink setup that works with inboard-mounted ASV dampers and coil springs. To keep the supercar Mustang firmly planted, the GTD features 345/30 ZR-20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rear tires and 325/30 ZR-20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup front tires. The GTD features some of the largest front tires ever on a production car.

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Ford Takes Active Aero To The Next Level

The GTD’s modifications can be observed in nearly every aspect of the supercar, save for the headlight and taillight, which bear resemblance to the lamps featured on the 2024 Mustangs. The GTD features prominent active aero features including flared and vented fenders, pressure-reducing vents on the fenders and hood, a large front splitter and air dam, and a large rear diffuser.

The most noticeable aero feature added to the GTD is the large rear wing attached to the C-pillars. This feature is offered as an available option by Ford, however, the rear wing is due to feature a hydraulically-controlled formula-1 active drag system (DRS) to increase downforce when necessary. Seeing as the Supercharged V-8 makes 800 horsepower, one may want to consider keeping the rear wing.

For additional aerodynamics, Ford is set to offer an optional carbon fiber underbody that comes with hydraulically actuated active front flaps. Enthusiasts and insiders predict the Mustang GTD will feature a proper launch control function, allowing the driver to take full advantage of the exceptionally large and grippy Michelin Sport tires, as well as the 800 horses under the hood.

Standard forged aluminum wheels add to the race-inspired aesthetic while also contributing to the lightweight aspects of the GTD. Ford is set to offer an even lighter forged magnesium wheel option to further the weight-cutting efforts. Another optional feature Ford will offer with the Mustang GTD is the available titanium exhaust made by Akrapovic. This upgraded exhaust system blows hot air out of two large pipes that protrude from the rear fascia.

It's hard to say exactly what the interior of the GTD will feature, being that its intentions are performance-oriented, it may not include many modern creature comforts, rather opting to include essentials and lightweight materials. Reports from the Monterey Car Week unveiling reveal that there was no rear seating in the GTD, in addition, a large infotainment screen and digital gauge cluster were also momentarily observed through the dark tinted windows of the show model.

Ford has yet to release any comprehensive performance specs regarding the Mustang GTD, though the supercar is set to begin production in 2024 or early 2025, so we may see some test runs before the official release.