When Ford unveiled the hardcore Mustang GTD at Monterey Car Week last year, its aggressive face was plastered all across the internet, and as of Wednesday, Americans and Canadians can apply to potentially buy one. The application opens today, April 17, 2024, exactly 60 years after the first Mustang debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair and changed the automotive world forever.
The Mustang GTD is the hardest-core road-going Mustang that Ford has ever dared to produce, with a targeted power output of about 800 horsepower from a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 with over a 7,500 RPM redline, no rear seats, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber wide body kit, and hulking carbon fiber front and rear spoilers. Ford has not announced how many Mustang GTDs will be produced, but it did say production numbers are expected to be between 300 and 700 units per year.
Developed by Ford’s racing team that also developed the Le Mans-winning Ford GT, the Mustang GTD is designed to be the quickest, most track-focused Mustang ever produced. The GTD will share aerodynamic qualities with the Ford Mustang GT3 race car, and it will feature a semi-active inboard rear suspension that replaces the Mustang’s trunk, but will doubtlessly add several trunkloads of grip on the track and fun on the street. Ford is targeting a sub-7-minute Nurburgring lap time for its GTD, which would require it to be faster around the ‘Ring than a Ferrari 488 Pista, and closer to the legendary Porsche 911 GT3 RS, competitors that would normally scoff at the idea of any Ford Mustang.
At the targeted $300,000 price point, the Mustang GTD will cost about $50,000 more than an entry-level Porsche 911 GT3 RS if there is such a thing. That price differential is all but erased if a Porsche buyer opts for Paint To Sample Plus, but you’re still buying a Porsche versus a Ford which may be a roadblock for the Mustang GTD. Despite the exorbitant price, if the Mustang GTD is able to deliver the numbers that Ford is aiming for, then the price won’t matter to prospective buyers. European, Middle Eastern, and Mexican buyers will have to wait until June to apply for a car. Deliveries are still expected to begin toward the end of the year or early 2025, and applying to buy one of these $300,000-ish maniacal Mustangs doesn’t mean you’ll actually be selected to purchase one, though there is no deposit necessary if you’re chosen as a buyer.