That said, the leaked GTD images (courtesy of YouTube user StangMode) show aluminum or silver colored wheels with some crazy looking cuts in its spokes. While it's possible Ford has painted these super light wheels, most carbon fiber wheels aren't made to work with designs like that without making the face out of metal. Carbon wheels could also be an option like it was with the GT350R. The carbon body would also be an opportunity to add some width and extra aerodynamic features like air outlets around the front tires and bigger cooling ducts. Regardless, the Mustang GTD must look like a race car turned into a street car to drastically differentiate itself from the Dark Horse.
Now this is going to be the fun part. The GT3 racer comes stuffed with a 5.4-liter V-8 based on the same architecture as the Coyote 5.0 liter in the Dark Horse. There is a chance that we'll see that but as a street-legal, emissions compliant version. If Ford makes it a naturally aspirated and street-legal version of the GT3 engine, it would mark the return of a road-going Mustang with a 5.4 liter V-8 since the last legendary race car for the street Mustang, the 2000 SN95 Cobra R. However, rumors abound that the V-8 under the hood of the "GTD" will be supercharged or turbocharged. Either way, expect more than 500 hp from this unique Mustang.
Then there is the potential for adding a paddle shift system with a proper DCT to make it more like the GT3 car, which would make the shifting very quick and direct. It wouldn't be the first time a high-horsepower Mustang got a proper flappy paddle transmission and would be another callback to the Shelby GT500. What would be wild is where that transmission would be placed. The race car features a transaxle gearbox and, with GT3 cars being so close to their street cars, maybe we'll see a transaxle with DCT on this Mustang GTD.
This content was originally published here.
