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Ford CEO Jim Farley is a wheelman. You may or may not have known that already, but he races anything he can get his hands on—which, being the Blue Oval brand’s boss, grants him access to a lot. He sat down with us a couple of years ago during Monterey Car Week, fresh off the track at Laguna Seca where he ran a classic Shelby Cobra. Now we’re at the same event, fresh off the reveal of the world-beating 2025 Ford Mustang GTD, and Farley has a challenge:
“This is our company, we’re throwing down the gauntlet and saying, ‘Come and get it,'” the chief exec was quoted in Ford’s press release announcing the car. “We’re comfortable putting everybody else on notice. I’ll take track time in a Mustang GTD against any other auto boss in their best road car.”
Ford
Ford
Apparently, Farley is super confident in the car—and himself. I’d feel alright about my chances too if I were driving the 800-horsepower Mustang GTD. It’s hardly related to the new S650 platform, as it sports a pushrod rear suspension with Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers. There’s an eight-speed, dual-clutch transaxle out back that handles output from a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, and it’s all laid down with 345-section Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires in the rear.
The Mustang GTD even offers active aerodynamics that would be illegal in every major racing series. When spec’d with the optional aero package, the car’s front flaps are hooked up to a hydraulic system that changes their angle to match that of the rear wing. Everything about the GTD is top-shelf—including its $300,000 price tag.
Jim Farley, at right, chats with Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner. Getty Images
As for Farley, he made his pro racing debut at Daytona this past January in a Mustang GT4 car after years of historics competition. “Some people love it for other reasons, for me it’s the competition,” told The Drive in 2021. “I think I make better decisions because I’m more relaxed after racing. But most of all it keeps me connected, and humble. Racing is a very humbling thing. It takes a lot of things to work to win. I think the same is true in business. It keeps me grounded. When I’m working with my mechanics, they don’t care what my job is. They’re like, you made a mistake. Don’t make that mistake again.”
I’m not sure other automotive CEOs would stand a chance. It’d be something to see Porsche boss Oliver Blume take Farley on in a 911 GT3 RS, or heck, even Elon Musk in a Tesla Model S Plaid. Akio Toyoda would’ve posed a worthy adversary, but as of April, he no longer holds the appropriate title. That’s a shame; the long-rumored production version of that Toyota GR GT3 Concept could be one of the few road cars capable of hanging with the GTD. For now, though, I don’t see anyone beating Jimbo, nor his Mustang.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
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