Ford Mustang FAQs

The muscle car Ford Mustang GT-R rekindles the legend’s road racing glory and the magic of 5.0-liter Mustangs in an unbeleivable racing concept making its world debut today. The Mustang GT-R signals a potential future race car, while honoring four decades of performance glory just days before Mustang’s 40th anniversary.

The bright Valencia Orange car, inspired by the famous Grabber Orange 1970 Mustang Boss 302 Trans-Am race cars piloted by race legends, including Parnelli Jones, is a technological showcase that reveals a number of existing or production-feasible racing parts. Built at Saleen Special Vehicles in Troy, Mich., the car was developed by the same members of the Ford GT Dream Team who are building sub-assemblies and painting body panels for Fords first supercar.

Design director for Ford Performance Group, Doug Gaffka’s design inspiration for the Mustang GT-R was simple: Flex the 2005 Mustang shell to wrap the engine and retain 85 percent of the production car’s solid structure. The front end is a further evolution of the Mustang GT coupe and convertible concepts that stole the 2003 North American International Auto Show and foreshadowed the design of the 2005 Mustang.

The Mustang GT-R features the classic pony in the grille, surrounded by modern materials like carbon fiber as well as advanced aerodynamic treatments like ground-hugging front and side splitters. Accentuated by huge front fender flares that accommodate the racing suspension, the sides of the Mustang GT-R have 20-inch wheels, racing slicks and substantial air scoops. The equally large rear fenders house tires that are an inch wider. Considering how quickly 18- and 19-inch tires became standard racing ware in recent years, these tires are a realistic forecast of the next evolution in racing rubber.

Dual stainless steel exhaust tips jutting out of the rear body panel just above the rocker panel on both sides in front of the tires add an intimidating look to the rear of the car.
Soon after the 2005 Mustang’s world reveal in January, race engineers quickly began building on its solid foundation. The Mustang GT-R concept’s chassis was fully stripped down to the body shell to receive custom reinforcement and structural improvements for driver safety on the racetrack. A roll cage was added, along with a Sparco-brand racing seat with a five-point safety harness.

The production suspension geometry is retained, but key parts were replaced to reduce weight or provide additional strength for the rigors of racing. Suspension pieces, including the K-member, are made of lightweight chrome-moly tubing. The race-proven dampers are coil-over, fully adjustable units featuring remote reservoirs. A strut tower brace increases structural rigidity.