Jay Leno calls Ford’s new Mustang GTD a total game-changer

Jay Leno call Mustang GTD a game-changer

Jay Leno received the 815 horsepower Ford Mustang GTD on his show Jay Leno’s Garage in mid-2025. According to duPont Registry’s coverage of a Jay Leno’s Garage segment, Ford CEO Jim Farley personally delivered Mustang GTD serial no. 12 to Leno.

Jay Leno drove the GTD in California and described it as more civilized than expected. Despite its track-focused engineering, he was impressed with how the car behaved on public roads and said it felt nimble and controlled even though it weighs over 4000 pounds.

GTD serial 12 personally delivered in 2025

The Mustang GTD received by Leno was delivered in 2025 and finished in deep blue paint with exposed carbon fiber elements. It came with Ford’s full Performance Pack, including canards, drag reduction system, a larger splitter, and a high-downforce wing.

Ford chose the first GTD buyers, including Jay Leno. The Performance Pack adds active aerodynamics, including a drag-reduction system (DRS), a larger front splitter, and a high-downforce rear wing. The car is street legal and built with extensive aerodynamic enhancements commonly seen only in dedicated race cars.

The GTD engine is a 5.2-liter supercharged V8

The Mustang GTD uses a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 rated at 815 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, paired with Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and a titanium exhaust system.

It is equipped with a titanium exhaust system. Jay Leno said the sound of the engine was worth the price alone. He referred to the exhaust note as muscle car poetry and noted its powerful character.

The GTD clocked a time of 6 minutes and 52 seconds in 2025

Ford recorded a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 6 minutes 52.072 seconds with the GTD on 5 May 2025. This result improved a previous GTD time of 6 minutes 57 seconds and met Ford’s sub-seven-minute target.

The GTD joined the list of production vehicles under the seven-minute mark alongside the Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Mercedes AMG One. Ford built the GTD to deliver race car performance in a legal street car.

The GTD includes pushrod suspension and signatures

Jay Leno opened the hood of the GTD and found a TIG-welded coolant tank and a magnesium strut brace. A pushrod rear suspension was visible through a window in the bulkhead, a design uncommon in road-going Mustangs.

The intake duct of the GTD was signed by every person involved in building the car, similar to his 2005 Ford GT. Leno highlighted the importance of attention to detail and the connection between the builders and the finished product.

The GTD behaves calmly on public roads

Despite being built for the track, the GTD showed calm behavior on regular roads. Leno stated that it felt nimble, similar to a Mazda Miata. He emphasized its road control despite its size and track-focused hardware.

Jay noted that the GTD handled highway cruising and backroad driving comfortably at sensible speeds. He had not yet driven it hard due to the break-in period, but praised its balance and usability during early testing.

Ford produced GTD at Multimatic in 2025

In 2025, production of the Mustang GTD began at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan. The car’s components were then shipped to Multimatic in Markham, Ontario, Canada, where a skilled team completed final hand assembly.

Multimatic is the same company that partnered with Ford for the Ford GT and with Mercedes-AMG for the One hypercar. Ford used this two-stage process to ensure production quality and attention to detail in the limited run of 1000 units.

Ford built 31 GTDs in June 2025

Production in early 2025 was slow with 2 GTDs built in January, 0 in February, 3 in March, 1 in April, and 10 in May. In June, Ford ramped up and produced 31 GTDs, bringing the total to 47 units.

Ford received over 7500 applications for the 2025 and 2026 GTD during the previous year’s window. Despite this demand, Ford confirmed that only 1000 units would be produced, making it a limited, high-performance street-legal track car.

The GTD base price was $327,960 in 2025

The base price of the GTD in 2025 was 327960 dollars, including delivery fees. With additional options, the cost could exceed 400000 dollars. One example, the Spirit of America edition, had a starting price of 429000 dollars.

Ford included a resale restriction in the GTD purchase agreement. Buyers were prohibited from selling the vehicle during the first two years of ownership. This clause was similar to the previous Ford GT production program restriction.

Ford sued John Cena over a GT flip in 2018

Ford enforced its no-resale policy with legal action during the Ford GT program. In 2018, Ford settled a lawsuit with John Cena after he sold his Ford GT, which was only months into ownership, violating his purchase contract.

Ford added the same clause to the Mustang GTD contracts in 2025. The company aimed to prevent buyers from flipping the limited production vehicles for profit and to ensure the GTD remained with serious automotive enthusiasts and collectors.

Spirit of America edition revealed January 2025

On 9 January 2025, Ford revealed a special edition of the Mustang GTD called the Spirit of America. The car featured red and blue stripes on a white body as a tribute to Craig Breedlove’s historic land speed record efforts.

This edition was introduced during the Detroit Auto Show. It shared the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 producing 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Ford did not disclose a specific price for the edition beyond the 429000 dollar base.

GTD top speed confirmed at 202 miles per hour

The GTD reaches a confirmed top speed of 202 miles per hour. It uses an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to send power to the rear wheels. This speed was verified following the Nürburgring run on 5 May 2025.

Ford did not publish official 0 to 60 miles per hour or quarter mile times. However, performance is expected to exceed previous GT figures due to powertrain improvements and improved downforce. The GTD was built for both top-end speed and track use.

GTD units limited to 1000 worldwide by Ford

Ford confirmed the GTD would be limited to 1000 total units. This was announced after over 7500 applications were submitted in 2024. Despite high demand from collectors and sports car buyers, production numbers were fixed and non-expandable.

The GTD was assembled in two stages. Initial construction took place in Michigan at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant. Parts were then sent to Multimatic in Ontario for hand assembly and completion before customer delivery began in June 2025.

GTD sold alongside 60th anniversary Mustang

In 2025, Ford sold the Mustang GTD alongside a special 60th Anniversary Package for the Mustang GT Premium. That package was available only with the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 fastback and convertible models, celebrating the model’s ongoing performance legacy.

Ford continued to market the Mustang as the best-selling Rear Wheel Drive two-door car. In the first half of 2025, Ford reported over 27000 Mustang units sold, including all variants and special editions, ahead of Camaro, Challenger, and Corvette.

GTD shown at Goodwood in 2025 as a track car

The GTD was showcased during the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed. GTD was shown at Goodwood as a road-legal, track-focused Mustang inspired by the GT3 race car. The vehicle includes street-legal trim and advanced suspension for track and public road use.

The GTD features a default two-year no-sale agreement. Despite this clause, collectors were still interested in acquiring the car due to its limited production and track-ready status. The vehicle drew attention from both sports car fans and brand-loyal Ford buyers.

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GTD rendered as a transformer by an artist in 2024

In September 2024, digital artist Oscar Vargas created a CGI version of the GTD as a Transformer. The rendering was part of his ongoing series using supercars as base models and was shared widely on social media by car enthusiasts.

Vargas had previously rendered a gold Camaro as Bumblebee. He selected the GTD due to its performance and styling, and modeled it in a dark blue color. The creation was unofficial and made purely for entertainment and visual experimentation in 3D.

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Think this Mustang rewrites the rulebook or flexes hard? Drop your thoughts below and tell us if the GTD lives up to the hype.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.