This weekend, Ford returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a few years away, and to coincide, it’s unveiled a new special edition of its upcoming, super-hardcore Mustang GTD, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS hunter inspired directly by its GT3 racing programme.
It’s called the Mustang GTD Carbon Series, so you can probably guess what it looks like. It leaves massive stripes of unpainted carbon fibre running across the bonnet and roof, as well as on the boot lid, highlighting the serious work that’s gone into shedding weight from the GTD – something Ford’s boss reckons needs to happen with the whole Mustang range.
Ford Mustang GTD – interior
Also unveiled were details of the GTD’s Performance Package, which is what you’ll want if you’re planning on chasing serious lap times. This adds front dive planes, a bigger splitter and some underbody aero flaps. It’s also the box you’ll need to tick if you want the GTD’s party piece – an F1-style drag reduction system on its gargantuan rear wing.
The Performance Package also ditches some sound deadening and switches out the regular wheels for some lightweight magnesium items. It doesn’t add any extra power, but with more than 800bhp from a 5.2-litre supercharged V8, it probably doesn’t need to. It’s with these extra enhancements over the already serious standard model that Ford is planning to chase a sub-seven-minute lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Ford Mustang GTD Carbon Series – rear
Finally, Ford has given us our first look at the GTD’s interior. It has new standard-fit Recaro bucket seats, along with a bespoke flat-bottomed steering wheel, 3D-printed titanium paddle shifters for its eight-speed dual-clutch ’box, and a specific setup for its digital gauge cluster. Drivers will be able to adjust suspension firmness and exhaust loudness on the fly via steering wheel buttons.
The GTD’s European debut at Le Mans also marks the opening up of European applications for its purchase. We suspect it won’t be cheap. We also suspect Ford won’t have any trouble shifting them all.
