Ford lets you watch the Suspension work on your $325,000 Supercar

Jun 9

Ford's "suspension window" puts the GTD's sophisticated suspension system on full display.

The Ford Mustang GTD is currently one of the automotive world's most exciting prospects. In principle, it is a high-power, low-weight, track-focused road-going supercar based on a production sports car. A lot like the 911 GT3RS. And the 765LT. And the AMG GT Black Series.

This particular segment of the automotive market has expanded rapidly in the last decade, and Ford enters as a slightly unexpected contender. Pony cars and muscle cars are synonymous with the drag strip, and no stranger to a few corners or canyons. However, dedicated track performance has primarily remained the expertise of European cars. A few outliers exist, such as the Viper ACR Extreme or the Camaro ZL1 1LE, but no car as focused as the GTD has left the production lines of the States since the Ford GT. As such, the expectations are high, and from what we know, there is little reason to doubt the GTD will deliver.

The Mustang GTD will have a 5.2-liter supercharged V8, a slightly modified version of that of the Shelby GT500. With the improvements, it should produce circa 800 horsepower, up from the GT500's 760. The GTD benefits from a high downforce aerodynamic package, part of which is the massive wing hanging from the C-pillar. And, just like the Euro track stars, the GTD will employ exquisite materials to reduce weight, evidenced by the optional forged magnesium wheels and titanium exhaust system. However, the talking point at this particular time is the suspension.

The GTD features a sophisticated adaptive suspension system created in collaboration with Multimatic: A semi-active pushrod-actuated suspension, including Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers. Ford claims the adaptive dampers can go from their softest to firmest setting in 15 milliseconds, and that the two-spring setup around each damper makes the car versatile for the track and street. The softer spring can be hydraulically compressed in Track mode, lowering the car by 40 millimeters and effectively stiffening the spring rate of the system. All this should pay dividends where it matters, on a hot lap around the Nurburgring. But, unlike the Euro track stars, it also serves to be a pleasure to the eyes.

Ford has fitted a 24x10" polycarbonate window over the rear bulkhead of the GTD. What is its application? Sheer coolness. It gives the driver and passenger a magnificent view of the dampers at work. It's placed beneath the rear window so that the ingenious suspension can be admired from both inside and outside the car. With the exception of open-wheel racecars, much of the impressive engineering behind such potent cars is hidden by fenders and bumpers. It just so happens that that semi-active pushrod-actuated suspension is automotive artwork. You can see for yourself, in this video from Ford Media. Also, note the active rear wing opening up to reduce drag.

Yash Stalin

Yashwanth (Yash) Stalin has been sincerely passionate about cars for as long as he can remember. What began as a childhood hobby of simply naming cars on the road has grown into a career-defining passion. Inspired by years of consuming countless articles and videos, his love for cars evolved into a desire to write his own material and help others in the way those articles helped him. This ambition led to the creation of HEEL & TOE, through which he channels his enthusiasm and knowledge, providing readers with informative content about the automotive industry.

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