In the pantheon of Mustang trims, the V8 always tends to get the attention. The turbo-four EcoBoosts have always been better than the credit they received, but the buyers who really wanted performance wouldn’t settle for half the cylinders. Ford is betting that could change with the introduction of the Mustang RTR. First teased at the start of 2025, we now know everything that’s going into this sharper, slidier turbocharged pony car, developed in collaboration with drift star Vaughn Gittin Jr. but built in Flat Rock and sold directly by Ford.
Think of the Mustang RTR like this: It’s really a package for the EcoBoost fastback that brings plenty of chassis components from the Dark Horse, as well as new traction control logic to let amateurs safely pretend they’re Gittin Jr., hopefully nowhere near anyone else. It includes the Dark Horse’s rear subframe, as well as the front and rear sway bars and adjustable strut top mounts from the Dark Horse’s Handling Pack. The latter allows owners to tinker with front camber, which is critical for proper drifting.
Speaking of “proper drifting,” RTR created a “Drift/Track alignment spec that any Ford dealer or good alignment shop can set up,” in Gittin Jr.’s words. The Mustang RTR can be optioned with dynamic MagneRide dampers, too, and comes standard with the GT Performance Brembo brake package: six-piston fronts and four-piston rears. And yes, of course it has the Drift Brake.
There’s more! The standard steering gear has been exchanged for one with increased travel. Plus, the inclusion of an anti-lag system, developed with insight from the Ford GT sports car racing program (may it rest in peace), will be an appreciated perk for anyone still pining over the V8. Like any typical EcoBoost Mustang, the RTR makes 315 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, though an optional Ford Performance “plug-and-play tune” can kick that up to 350 hp and 400 lb-ft without spiking the powertrain warranty.
On the outside, the Mustang RTR differentiates itself from the rest of the range with RTR’s signature LED nostrils (that’s what I call them, anyway) plus gorgeous 12-spoke wheels backed by optional “Hyper Lime” highlighter-yellow calipers. The lime theme carries into the interior, on the seatbelts and the e-brake lever, but don’t freak out—you can leave them black if you like.
The last thing we need to talk about is price, and there’s some good and bad news here. We’ll start with the bad: Given the on-sale date of summer next year, Ford ain’t talking numbers yet, not even a ballpark estimate. However, it seems the company is acutely aware of what this vehicle has to cost for it to be competitive, and it sounds like it wouldn’t have even bothered to build it if it was just going to command GT prices.
“The attainability of this was critically important, because what we’re trying to do is bring in the next generation of enthusiast,” Laurie Transou, Mustang chief engineer, told CarBuzz. “We’re trying to broaden the reach for the Mustang brand. And that’s frankly why we chose EcoBoost instead of GT or Dark Horse.” Gittin Jr. added that “this vehicle is going to be accessible to people that GTs are not.”
What does that mean, then? Well, a 2026 EcoBoost with the “High” equipment package, which the RTR builds on, starts at $37,205, while a GT Fastback starts at $49,250. That leaves a $43-45K zone for this turbocharged pony car to land, where it would battle the likes of the Nissan Z as well as the front/all-wheel-drive sport compact set that includes the Toyota GR Corolla, Honda Civic Type R, and Volkswagen Golf R.
Honestly, when we first learned about the Mustang RTR, I was skeptical. Ford’s love of branding and creating a billion special editions of every model often ends in glorified cosmetic packages, like the F-150 Lobo, or sort of halfway-legitimate experiments, like the Maverick Lobo. This RTR makes a lot of sense, though—pulling the best bits from the high-performance V8 Mustangs, minus the V8, to take the EcoBoost to new heights, ideally at a reasonable cost. Now there’s just one more call Ford needs to make to stick the landing.
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
