After revealing its quite ordinary interior (save for a few bits and bobs) at the beginning of the month, the Ford Mustang GTD has now returned to the Nurburgring. The reason? A sub-7-minute lap time, of course, which would place it in the same zone as some really expensive rides.
Mind you, this model is also eye-wateringly expensive, with a starting price of approximately $325,000. That's way more than a brand-new Ferrari Roma or a Porsche 911 Turbo S, and its production will be limited to an undisclosed number of copies, making it more appealing to collectors.
The Blue Oval has yet to disclose the magic numbers of this special muscle car, stating only that it has a targeted output of over 800 horsepower and a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine under that long hood, which you can hear screaming its lungs out in the latest spy video shared below. This makes it around 40 hp (41 ps/30 kW) punchier than the S550 Mustang Shelby GT500, which needed roughly three seconds to sixty mph (97 kph) and was a ten-second car on a good day.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | CarSpyMedia
Other highlights include the wider track (100 mm/~4 inches compared to the Mustang GT), a carbon fiber driveshaft, carbon fiber body panels, a tubular subframe inspired by the world of motorsport, and carbon ceramic brakes that back up the 20-inch forged magnesium wheels on all four corners. It also has a trick suspension that needs 15 milliseconds to adjust from its firmest to its softest setting, and the rear one is visible at all times through a transparent panel, just like the motor on rear mid-engined machines.
The Ford Mustang GTD features more advanced aerodynamics than the rest of the S650 Mustang series. But it's not that special on the inside. You see, it has the same dual-screen setup (albeit with different graphics). The buttons, knobs, door cards, air vents, and so on also carry over. To its defense, it has two new buttons on the center console (a shortcut to the Track Apps page and the nose-lift system), special paddle shifters, a 12 o'clock marker on the steering wheel, and carbon fiber trim.
Some say the interior is not that special and certainly not worthy of the model's sticker price. However, the Mustang GTD probably feels very much like a supercar at the racetrack, though it needs a skilled driver holding the wheel to show what it is capable of. We can't wait to see how different it is from the Mustang GT and Mustang Dark Horse and if it can indeed post a sub-7-minute lap time at the infamous Nurburgring. Meanwhile, you can check out the GTD in action again in the video shared below.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News