Aussies in the mix for Ford’s Mustang GTD
This extreme machine requires potential owners to participate in a ruthless application process designed to weed out people deemed unworthy.
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Cashed up Australian car lovers are fighting to get hold of a Ford Mustang designed to take on the world’s fastest supercars.
A number of Aussie Ford fans have applied to get hold of the new Ford Mustang GTD as part of an international vetting process designed to weed out folks who aren’t worthy of the car.
The application asks potential owners whether they identify as a car collector, an active member of the motorsport community or an influencer of public opinion.
The latter must provide reach and engagement statistics as well as links to social media profiles. Racers need to outline their motorsport history, with preference given to winners of high-profile events such as the Daytona 500, Bathurst 1000 or Le Mans.
Potential customers are even asked to “provide a link to a short video telling us why you would be a good Ford Mustang GTD owner”.
Speaking at the 24 hours of Le Mans, Mustang brand manager Jim Owens said thousands of people have applied to take ownership of the car.
“That application really gets into the heart of what you do with your vehicle,” he said.
“Folks who are here, and drive on race tracks and participate in clubs, those are the things in that application that really identify the passion of the people who are applying.
“We are so excited and cannot wait to actually deliver these vehicles as a 2025 model year late this year and early next year.”
The car is not officially sold in Australia, but Australians can apply to buy the car, take delivery of it overseas, and ship it home privately.
A handful of cashed up collectors did exactly that with the Ford GT.
The Mustang GTD is set to cost $US300,000 ($450,000) plus optional extras, taxes and other fees in the US. It’s dearer in the UK, where the car costs £315,000 ($600,000) plus options and on-road costs.
Ford pitches the Mustang GTD as a road-going version of its Mustang GT3 race car that took a debut podium at Le Mans last weekend.
The wild machine shares little in common with the regular Mustang GT.
Powered by a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 with more than 600kW, it has active aerodynamics with a swan-neck rear wing similar to the latest Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Decorative metal trim in the interior is milled from recycled titanium sourced from F-22 Raptor fighter jets flown in the US Air Force.
Like the Nissan GT-R, it has a rear-mounted dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Like the Ferrari 296 Assetto Fiorano, it has sophisticated spool valve dampers. Like the McLaren 750S, it has carbon fibre bodywork. Like a Lamborghini Aventador, it has a dry sump oil system to keep the engine healthy during high-G cornering.
It also borrows ideas from the previous-generation Ford GT, including suspension with road and race modes that does far beyond a simple firming of the shock absorbers.
The car can double its suspension stiffness, drop its ride height by 40mm and induce a tail-high stance – known in racing circles as “rake” – to optimise airflow under the car.
The car is built by Multimatic – the same company responsible for Ford’s Le Mans racers and the F1-powered, $5 million Mercedes-AMG One.
Multimatic executive Larry Holt said he “can’t think of any stone left unturned based around making a Mustang into a supercar”.
Ford motorsport boss Mark Rushbrook said the Mustang GTD road car came about after Ford’s chief executive saw the Mustang GT3 race car for the first time.
“Jim Farley saw it and said we need a GT3 for the road, and that is what Mustang GTD has become,” Rushbrook said.
“We went from the road [Mustang] Dark Horse to the race Mustang GT3 and now we go back from race to road with the GTD again.”
Jim Baumbick, vice president of product development for Ford, said the new GTD road car “really is the pinnacle of the breed”.
“At Ford, for a long time, we’ve always believed that competition breeds excellence, and that’s exactly why we’re back at Le Mans,” he said.
“The whole goal is to actually compete on the road in the same way and take on the very best.”
Originally published as Aussies in the mix for Ford’s Mustang GTD
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