The "race cars for the road" cliche is dying. Not because of an ever-increasing effort to dull and maim road cars, but in fact quite the opposite. Machines like the new Mustang GTD and Porsche 911 GT3 RS are no longer race car copies; they are technically superior in a number of ways.
For decades, an automotive hierarchy was fairly noticeable among manufacturers. For the most part, the sports car you bought from the dealer was a watered-down version of the race car you watched on Sundays. The road car was heavier, not as powerful, and had a suspension built to absorb potholes.
But as technology has evolved and motorsport has become safer and more controlled, the opposite is starting to become true. The Mustang GTD is a prime example of this.
The 815-horsepower pony car is being marketed as a road-legal version of Ford's GT3 racer. Around the Nurburgring, it achieved a time of 6 minutes and 52.07 seconds, making it faster than the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Ferrari 298 GTB. Obviously, track conditions and even tires play a large part in these times, but to see a Mustang that far up the timesheet is still remarkable.
GT3 cars race on a different Nurburgring layout, so it's tricky to directly compare. But if you archaically fettle the timings just a little bit to create something more comparable, the race car is only slightly faster than the road car version—and that's with slicks (albeit restricted on power).
Unfortunately, there's a big reason as to why the GTD will never see track time in this manner: it's illegal. Here's why
Look at the rear of both the GTD and GT3 variants, and you'll spot a rather large wing. On the GTD, it's hydraulically actuated with a DRS system similar to what you saw in Formula 1 last season. There are matching flaps under the car, too, to further increase downforce.
According to Ford, it creates a maximum of 1,950 pounds of load using this system alongside several other wings and blades dotted across its panels. But with a push of a button, it can shed that drag for a run down the straight. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS does the same thing.
But under FIA GT3 regulations, aerodynamic surfaces must be static, making these two cars—as well as many others—illegal. Once a car leaves the pit lane, its wing angle must be fixed. If a driver wants to add downforce, they'll need to pit and have their crew get out the wrenches.
The FIA has banned this for two reasons: the cost of doing this simply makes it too expensive, especially for privateer teams. And maybe more importantly for the viewers, active aero will make dirty air a real issue as cars start to create absurd levels of downforce specifically for cornering.
The GTD features Adaptive Spool Valve suspension dampers that change when Track Mode is activated. It doesn't just get stiffer, it lowers its ride height by 40 millimeters, improving the ground effect aerodynamics under the body and lowering its center of gravity.
In GT3 and a number of other series, active suspension is strictly banned. It was famously banned in F1 in 1994 when its cars became too unstable and dangerous to continue, with Williams leading the charge in the use of this technology. The team still hides how they did it to this day.
The FIA now views this as a driver aid, and it's very unlikely to make a return.
This is a little more common sense. While the GTD produces over 800 hp from its supercharged 5.2-liter V8, the GT3 car creates only approximately 500 hp.
This is due to something called Balance of Performance, or BoP. The FIA uses this to ensure that racing is close between different makes and models. From Fords and rear-engined Porsches to mid-engined Ferraris, each car needs to be able to race on a level playing field. So air restrictors are added to engines and power-to-weight ratios are measured to make sure no one has an unfair advantage.
Road cars have no such referees, so Ford could throw as much power as it wanted at its car.
Why would manufacturers bother investing in and adding banned technology to their cars when it can't be used in racing? There are several reasons.
Manufacturers want their customers to feel like racing drivers without them needing to devote their lives to the art. If a driver can rely on technology over talent, the manufacturer has done a good job. Plus, with niceties like sound deadening, a usable trunk, and carpeted floor mats, road cars need all the help they can get to extract more performance from a higher weight.
The last reason is the Nurburgring arms race. The major stories revolving around the GTD since its release have been on its astonishing lap times. Ford wants to beat the clock, so when it comes to street-legal cars, the gloves are off.