Mustang GTD hits the 'Ring before competing in Le Mans this month

If you liked the video of Toyota’s GR GT3 racer testing at Belgium’s Circuit Spa-Francorchamps, settle in for more V8 thunder. As Ford prepares to contest 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Ford Mustang GTD, the automaker’s taken the pure-track version of its $325,000 pony car to the Nurburgring for testing. Car Spy Media did us all the favor of capturing three minutes of the shakedown, the soundtrack an operatic warm-up session for the coupe’s 5.2-liter supercharged V8. In road-legal form, Ford’s targeting more than 800 horsepower from the lump up front. For the race, GT3 regulations cap output at 600 horses.  

Revealed last August, during five weeks in April and May this year Ford opened a reservation window to claim the Mustang GTD’s 2025 and 2026 model year production runs. We’re told more than 7,500 thirsty shoppers submitted applications to spend what will be far more than $325,000 by the time the options and fees are tallied. The automaker still hasn’t clarified what the phrase “limited production” means for the ‘Stang GTD, but it’s certainly far less than the applicant count. We suspect the hopeful horde won’t diminish no matter how the car fares at La Sarthe — let’s be honest, a ton of those hand-raisers would press the “Flip at Auction” button before pressing the car’s Start button — but a strong showing will get even more lined up for the next reservation opening, especially if the post-Le Mans schedule plays out favorably. After the French race, Ford’s entering the GTD in the 24 Hours of Spa, then planning what we expect to be a timed run at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.   

Check out the sounds in the video above, and if you’re hungry for a deep dive into how the GTD does what it does, YouTube’s got another presentation you might like.