Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn used this weekend’s debut of its Mustang GT3 race car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 15-16) to pull the cover off another ultra-high-performance pony car — the 2025 Mustang GTD Carbon Series.
Slated to be available in late 2024 or early 2025, the Mustang GTD features a Performance package that includes dive planes and a larger splitter to the front fascia, underbody flaps, and a drag reduction system to the rear wing.
The active aerodynamic elements reduce drag in a straight line without sacrificing aerodynamic grip while cornering. The Performance pack also includes a lightweight package, which removes some sound-deadening material and adds 20-inch magnesium wheels, in addition to a unique front fascia.
“Many sports cars excel at one thing,” says Greg Goodall, chief engineer on the GTD. “But for a car to set a quick lap at the Nürburgring (in Germany), it needs to be great at everything. Cornering, grip, braking, acceleration, there’s not a single area where it can’t shine.
“From the lightweight carbon fiber body on every GTD to the active aerodynamics of the Performance package, we’ve learned from motorsport how to make the Mustang GTD excel everywhere, all in the quest for a sub-seven-minute lap of the Nürburgring.”
The GTD’s interior is said to be driver-focused with standard Recaro seats and a new flat-bottom steering wheel featuring a thick, well-padded rim with premium Dinamica inserts and a leather wrap, along with carbon-fiber inserts.
Exclusive to the Mustang GTD are buttons on the steering wheel for adjusting the suspension firmness and exhaust mode, letting drivers keep their eyes on the road while adjusting how their Mustang GTD performs in corners and sounds when accelerating.
A rotary gear selector offers access the Track Apps page on the instrument panel that activates a front-axle lift function to help the low-riding vehicle avoid parking lot and driveway obstacles.
Drivers also have greater control over how the standard eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle manages the supercharged 5.2-liter V-8’s targeted 800-plus-horsepower, thanks to 3-D-printed titanium paddle shifters. Oversized and featuring a hexagonal pattern that’s both light and gives the driver’s fingers something to grip, it’s another example of Ford using motorsports to improve the driving experience. Titanium trimming also is available on the rotary gear selector on the center console.
“Mustang GTD does far more than elevate the Mustang’s performance envelope. It brings a new more-focused, premium feel to the cabin,” says Anthony Colard, design manager for the new Mustang.
Mustang GTD made its French debut with new Chroma Flame paint, one of six standard colors for Mustang GTD – along with Polymimetic Gray, Race Red, Shadow Black, Frozen White, and Lightning Blue – it’s exclusive to the Mustang GTD. The deep burgundy shade is designed to pair with the Carbon Series trim.
Highlighting the carbon-fiber body, the Carbon Series leaves the hood, roof, and rear Tech Deck unpainted, while finishing the wheels (aluminum or magnesium) in Magnetite. Body color or contrasting painted stripes are available, as are Grabber Blue, Race Red, or Black painted brake calipers.
Once in the car, the Unreal Gaming technology that powers the Sync 4 infotainment system has a Mustang GTD-specific welcome and farewell graphics on the 13.2-inch touchscreen and 12.4-inch reconfigurable digital gauge cluster. Each of the six drive modes features a Mustang GTD, while a new Performance gauge cluster is exclusive to the pinnacle of Mustang performance. It puts the gear indicator and tachometer front and center, while stripping away all superfluous information.
Another differentiating feature of the Mustang GTD is its race-ready suspension, which is on display via a 24-by-10-inch polycarbonate suspension window.
“The rear suspension is designed for purpose, but it’s also just a beautiful thing to look at,” says Jim Owens, marketing manager for the Mustang GTD. “It would have been a shame for us to hide it away never to be seen. With the suspension window, owners can admire the blue and gold accents on the dampers without removing the tech panel, and the passenger can literally watch the suspension in action.”
The Mustang GTD’s inboard rear suspension combines with a strong, stiff, and weight-efficient motorsport-style tubular subframe. Supplier Multimatic’s proprietary Adaptive Spool Valve dampers, meanwhile, go beyond what’s allowed in the world of racing.
The suspension system is capable of going from their softest to firmest setting in just 15 milliseconds, six times quicker than the human eye can blink, and the ASV continuously dampers based on the drive mode, road surface, and driver inputs to maximize the Michelin tires’ contact with the road.
“We’ve never done a suspension like this on Mustang,” says Goodall. “To meet the aggressive lap time targets we set, we looked to motorsports for that inspiration to do something really advanced. This cutting-edge suspension and advanced dampers are key to turning a Mustang into a Mustang GTD.”
 to pull the cover off another ultra-high-performance pony car — the 2025 Mustang GTD Carbon Series.){kind=link}