The new Mustang GTD is unveiled at Ford CEO Jim Farley's personal garage. "Our idea behind this car was to take a race car and not change anything for the street," he explains. Let's even include a few things that are forbidden in racing.

Already, this seems quite promising. And could you please take a closer look at it? Yes, a muscle car's rear wing has a DRS system. 

However, this is no longer a muscle vehicle in the traditional sense. "We love our Mustang Shelbys and stuff," Farley says. But this automobile isn't that at all. For the AMG GT Black Series, that is. For the 911 GT3 RS, that is. We aim to defeat them with both a street vehicle and at Le Mans.

Yikes. Ford is taking this remark seriously. How will the GTD support it, then?

First off, this is the most potent road-legal Mustang Ford has ever produced thanks to a massive 5.2-liter dry-sumped supercharged V8 up front that reaches speeds of over 7,500 rpm and produces over 800bhp. It has far more power than the Mustang GT3 racer that served as its inspiration because to Balance of Performance regulations. The eight-speed dual-clutch Tremec gearbox is located in the back and is connected to the engine through a carbon fiber driveshaft. It should be around 50:50 in weight distribution, and the overall width is almost 10 cm wider than a typical Mustang. Except for the doors, virtually every visible panel is constructed of carbon fiber.  

But this is where things really get interesting, so please with us while we geek out for a bit. The adaptive spool valve damper technology from Multimatic is used in the GTD, which has hydraulically operated dual spring rates and height. That basically implies that when you switch to Track mode on the Mustang GTD, its ride height will decrease by over 40mm, akin to the original Ford GT. Oh, and there isn't a boot since that space is occupied by the transaxle's cooling system, the hydraulic control system, and the inboard rear suspension configuration. Yes, this Mustang is taken seriously. 

What more do we currently know? Well, the 20-inch forged magnesium wheels are really concealing enormous Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, and the active rear wing works in conjunction with hydraulically controlled flaps under the front grille to regulate downforce. Additionally, there is a massive rear diffuser, an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, and grippy Michelin Cup 2 R tires.

The rear seats have been removed to create a little amount of baggage space in order to save weight (and since there isn't a boot in the typical location). Inside are Recaro seats as well as titanium paddleshifters that were 3D printed and appear to be built from leftover parts of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor combat planes. Super awesome.

It appears that the GTD was a genuine after-hours, skunkworks project as well, with just a small group of individuals working on it in a covert garage at Ford's base in Allen Park, concealed beneath the windtunnel. But given the fuss the company is now making about the GTD's ability in destroying supercars, soon enough even your grandmother will be aware of its existence. Or, if she is interested in Nürburgring lap times, she will be. The goal, according to chief engineer Greg Goodall, is to complete a loop of the Green Hell in less than seven minutes. In this regard, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS has established an absurdly quick standard of 6m 49.3s.

Then, this is quite a break from the standard muscle car fare. Additionally, the price will differ from that of a typical muscle vehicle. Prices will begin at $300,000 (approx R5.8 million) due to the small number of units available and Multimatic's involvement in the majority of the construction.

While it won't be arriving in the UK or Australia, Ford hasn't yet said how many will be made accessible. However, it will be arriving in Europe. Production is scheduled to begin near the end of 2024, so you shouldn't have to wait too long to give driving on the wrong side of the road in a foreign nation a go. 

Could Ford pull off yet another massive upset by defeating the GT3 RS with the Mustang GTD?