Max Verstappen Drives $300K Ford Mustang GTD With Chris Harris

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5 days ago

I'm going to catch a lot of heat for this, but as a mom, I found that the Kia Carnival had more parent-friendly features than the Toyota Sienna hybrid, for much less at the top of the line.
If you were wondering what it would look like when one of the most talented F1 drivers alive and a journalist with a serious lead foot took the wheel of Ford's most extreme street-legal car, wonder no more. Max Verstappen and Chris Harris have just tested the all-new Ford Mustang GTD — and it's safe to say this isn't your granddad's Mustang.
The GTD, Ford's $300,000+ GT3-inspired halo car, was unleashed in a new video by Ford Performance, with Verstappen and Harris swapping seats, notes, and sideways glances around a private test facility. The car, with its hulking aero kit, supercharged V8, and wild transaxle layout, is aiming squarely at Porsche GT3 RS territory — and from the look on Max's face, it's getting there.
Supercar Specs, Muscle Car Swagger
Ford claims the Mustang GTD can lap the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes — faster than anything else with a Blue Oval badge, ever. Powered by a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 producing over 800 horsepower, it's backed by a rear-mounted transaxle and trick pushrod suspension that would make a Le Mans prototype blush.
The whole layout mirrors the Mustang GT3 race car, which means this is less 'Shelby' and more 'track-day lunatic.' It's a car for people who think the standard Mustang Dark Horse isn't nearly terrifying enough. And with a starting price north of $300,000, it's also one of the most expensive Fords ever sold — right up there with the GT supercar and the upcoming F-150 Lightning Platinum Black, as explored in our ranking of the five most expensive Fords.
Harris vs. Verstappen
In the test session, the pair took turns behind the wheel — Harris admiring the balance and feedback, Verstappen treating it like Q3 at Suzuka. They talked braking feel, chassis dynamics, and the shockingly civilised ride quality given the car's insane track intent. The video also showed them hopping into a vintage Ford RS200 beforehand, just to remind us that Ford's motorsport pedigree didn't start yesterday.
It's worth noting that Ford is riding a bit of a rollercoaster lately — booming sales in key segments, particularly electric, but also racking up recall numbers at record highs, according to our June reliability report. This GTD, then, is not just a statement of performance. It's a much-needed distraction from fuel pump recalls and QC complaints — like the recent announcement of over 850,000 vehicles being recalled due to potential stalling issues.
Big Bet, Big Payoff?
So why the GTD? Why now? For Ford, it's about brand image. You can sell a million crossovers, but without a hero car, nobody remembers you. The GTD is a flex — a showcase of what Ford can do when it stops thinking about cupholders and thinks about Nürburgring sector times instead.
And with a Red Bull Powertrains partnership on the horizon, this Verstappen cameo is no accident. Ford wants to remind the world it can build fast, desirable cars — and not just EVs with squeaky panels or six-figure pickups for suburban dads. The GTD is visceral, loud, ludicrous — exactly what it should be.
Final Lap
Chris Harris called the GTD 'freakishly composed.' Verstappen couldn't stop grinning. And frankly, if those two are impressed, the rest of us don't need much more convincing.
Just don't expect to see one at your local Ford dealer anytime soon. They'll all be sold out — or sitting quietly in someone's humidity-controlled garage, alongside an RS200 and a very smug owner.
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