New Ford Mustang GTD review: bonkers but brilliant

Verdict

No matter how well you prepare for a new car, reality always finds a way to surprise you. The Ford Mustang GTD is worlds away from a normal Mustang, yet nothing like a Porsche 911 GT3 RS – even though they compete in the same league. Thankfully, this hardcore Ford has its own special, wild, yet controllable, character, which is only fully unleashed in Track mode. Here, the Mustang GTD is a true Transformer.

The Ford Mustang GTD is a fascinating car – to behold, as well as to drive. This is a wide-body, Porsche 911 GT3 RS-fighting Ford that will be sold in small numbers and only in left-hand drive. Just a handful will come to the UK.

With a track widened by around 100mm and those massively flared wings, the GTD is over two metres wide – a good 120mm more than a normal Mustang. Yet it feels familiar very quickly – at least for anyone used to heavy-hitters such as the Mustang, Dodge Challenger and their kind. 

The interior certainly contributes to that sense of comfort. While from the outside, you can barely recognise the original Mustang under its new carbon-fibre armour – even the roof, doors and bonnet are made of carbon – inside, everything is as you'd expect. There’s no roll cage, and no radical bucket seats, either. Instead, you get new GTD graphics in the on-board computer and a plaque with a serial number, showing that each car is handcrafted by Multimatic racing specialists in Canada. But that’s about it.

Used - available now

2017 Ford

Mustang

39,487 milesManualPetrol5.0L

Cash £28,099

View Mustang

2022 Ford

Mustang

16,295 milesAutomaticPetrol5.0L

Cash £41,995

View Mustang

2022 Ford

Mustang

20,447 milesManualPetrol5.0L

Cash £41,500

View Mustang

2017 Ford

Mustang

36,600 milesAutomaticPetrol2.3L

Cash £24,994

View Mustang

We open proceedings in Sport mode, even though there’s a much sharper Track option available. It’s amazing how civilised the car feels and how effortlessly the GTD can be driven. The same praise the dual-purpose Porsche attracts for its suitability to both the racetrack and the supermarket also applies to the Mustang GTD. If you ignore the lack of a boot, of course – a casualty of that transaxle design at the rear. 

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Of course, in reality, a supermarket car park makes as little sense for a GTD as it does for a 911 GT3 RS, as nobody is doing their weekly shop in one of these. But the core point stands: the Mustang GTD has a degree of everyday usability. It’s not as intimidating to see out of as its wild aero might suggest; the throttle isn’t untamed and it’s not too harsh on its suspension.

We’re driving the car on track, and during our first few laps in Sport mode, our confidence builds quickly. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres get up to temperature fast. The car and tarmac form a tight bond. 

Before long, it’s time for Track mode. This can only be engaged at a standstill, and after an additional confirmation, the GTD lowers itself on its adaptive suspension by around 40mm at the front and 30mm at the rear. 

The entire rear axle is designed as an inboard-mounted pushrod system, placed deep in the tail and connected to the body via a motorsport-style tubular subframe. Each damper has two springs. In Track mode, one of these is hydraulically pre-tensioned, which nearly doubles the spring rate and, together with the lower ride height, ensures maximum stability under high downforce. This tech is made visible through a small polycarbonate window in the rear, behind which the blue-and-gold Multimatic dampers work like clockwork.

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And then it happens. Like one of those famous Transformers robots that can turn into anything, the Mustang GTD adopts a completely different character than was the case in Sport mode. Absolutely everything is sharper, pointier, faster. We can’t think of a car with such a massive spread between its two driving modes.

The sophisticated aerodynamics – an active adjustable rear wing, underbody diffuser and vents in the bonnet – allow for incredible cornering speeds. The active aero includes a DRS function, similar to Formula One, which alters the air resistance. The huge, hydraulically adjustable rear wing presses the car onto the track with force, while the braking system, with its carbon-ceramic discs, is brutally direct, always instantly available and stops on a dime. Deceleration is exceptional – which is sorely needed with a kerb weight of around 1,970kg. 

And then there’s the engine. All too rarely these days do you get to hear the shriek of a 5.2-litre supercharged V8 – let alone one that produces over 815bhp. It's based on Ford’s GT3 race engine, catapulting the GTD from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, and on to 202mph. It is an incomparable pleasure. And if our environment wasn't in such a state, we’d be tempted to curse the impending combustion-engine ban for taking away goosebump moments like this. 

All in, the Mustang GTD has more character than a 911. The near-flawlessness of the current GT3 RS is what robs it of some of the thrill of fallibility. Yet this is retained in the Mustang GTD. It rides a bit more boisterously, and gives you a good shake from time to time. Not everyone likes something so untamed. But we do.

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