The Tech On The $300,000 Mustang GTD That's Illegal In Racing

Ford turned some heads and dropped some jaws when it announced a $300,000 Mustang at Monterey Car Week, but then again the new 2025 Mustang GTD is no ordinary pony car. Wider, wilder, and altogether faster than any Ford-made Mustang before it, the GTD promises to earn its price tag by virtue of in excess of 800 horsepower and the ability to embarrass other supercars whether on the straights or in the corners.

"We're comfortable putting everybody else on notice," Ford CEO Jim Farley said of the newest model. "I'll take track time in a Mustang GTD against any other auto boss in their best road car."

That confidence has some serious engineering to back it up. While the Mustang GTD starts out in Ford's Flat Rock Assembly Plant, the final handcrafting to turn it into a road-legal track star takes place in Markham, Canada, at Multimatic's facilities. That's Ford's partner on the Mustang GT3, along with the Mustang GT4 and the iconic Ford GT.

To earn its name, the Mustang GTD had to live up to Ford and Multimatic's race aspirations. In fact, the "GTD" suffix is a nod to the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTD racing class, which encompasses cars built to the FIA's GT3 technical regulations. That's a long list of rules and requirements by which all GT3 cars must comply if they want to be race-eligible, though while the Mustang GTD is inspired by it, that doesn't mean Ford has stuck to the rulebook exclusively.

Like race cars, Ford and Multimatic have used plenty of carbon fiber for its light weight and its super strength. The Mustang GTD taps the high-tech woven material for the roof, fenders, hood, and other parts like the door sills and front splitter (plus various interior trim parts, too). Optionally, the front and rear fascias can also be spec'd as carbon fiber versions.

However, Ford's broad remit with the Mustang GTD gave it the liberty to introduce features on the racer that simply wouldn't be allowed on a Mustang GT3 car. In fact, the automaker says, some of the tech it has cooked up for the newest Mustang would be outright illegal on a GT3 vehicle, under the IMSA and FIA rules.

Add the optional aero package, for example, and you get a special aerodynamic underbody tray made of carbon fiber. That's been designed based on work done for motorsports racing, Ford says, but the package also includes custom hydraulically-controlled front flaps. These can adjust the airflow from the front of the car, in tandem with the downforce created by the rear wing, a system which would actually be illegal in official races, Ford says.

That small print probably isn't going to stop 2025 Mustang GTD buyers from adding all the extras they can get, of course. After all, not only does Ford's new supercar have a $300,000+ price tag to ensure rarity, but the automaker has also said that it'll only be building a limited number of the cars. Potential buyers can register their interest now, though Ford warns that just doing so won't necessarily secure you a spot in the order books.