FIRST LOOK: Ford Mustang GTD – $300k, 800bhp by TOP GEAR and FORD

“Our idea behind this car was to take a race car and not change anything for the street,” says Ford boss Jim Farley. There’s a giant dry-sumped 5.2-litre supercharged V8 up front that revs to somewhere above 7,500rpm and puts out over 800bhp, making this the most powerful road-legal Mustang ever built. That engine is connected to a carbon fibre driveshaft and powers the rear wheels through a rear-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Pretty much every panel you can see except for the doors is made from carbon fibre.   There are humungous Brembo carbon ceramic brakes hiding under 20-inch forged magnesium wheels, and the active rear wing combines with hydraulically controlled flaps behind the front grille to manage downforce. There’s a giant rear diffuser too, plus a titanium exhaust system supplied by Akrapovic and sticky Michelin Cup 2 R tyres.  Oh, and there’s no boot because that’s taken up by the inboard rear suspension setup, the hydraulic suspension control system and the transaxle’s cooling system. Yeah, this is a properly serious Mustang…