Zac Quinn 
Sharing DNA with the all-new, seventh-generation 2024 Ford Mustang, Ford, Vaughn Gittin Jr., and RTR Vehicles have just unveiled the newest Formula Drift Spec 5-FD competition Mustangs. Working in parallel with Ford, RTR has been developing not one but three Mustang RTR Spec 5-FDs with entirely new exteriors based on the Mustang production car. In addition, Gittin will return to the sport after a year getting dirty with the Bronco, and his all-new S650 Mustang drift car features an out-of-this-world livery inspired by photographs from the James Webb Space Telescope.
RTR Ford Mustang Formula Drift: Details
The RTR Formula Drift Ford Mustang will have more than 1,300 horsepower and enhanced suspension development, which marks the most significant evolution of Formula Drift Mustang in years, to be piloted by some of the greatest drift drivers on the planet from RTR Vehicles’ Drift Team, including Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ, and newest team member, three-time champion James Deane.
The fun won’t stop with just watching professional drifting as Ford and RTR have also teamed up to create a segment-first electronic drift brake for the 2024 Mustang, which we covered when the S650 was unveiled. The electronic drift brake is part of the Mustang Performance Electronic Parking Brake equipped in 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 5.0-liter V8 Mustangs with automatic or manual transmissions and the available performance Pack. The drift brake emulates with advanced electronics with the hydraulic drift brake found in RTR’s Formula Drift Mustang, with more than three times the braking force of a conventional mechanical parking brake system.
Vaughn will compete in select events behind his all-new Monster Energy Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD, sharing driving duties in 2023 with teammate Adam LZ. These extreme versions of Mustang RTRs are built for competition, but you can expect more exciting news about consumer vehicle packages and components for the S650 Ford Mustang soon.
Here is the 2023 Formula Drift Events schedule to see these epic cars in action:
- April 7-8, Long Beach, Calf. — Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ and James Deane
- May 11-13, Braselton, Ga.— Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, and James Deane
- May 26-27, Orlando, Fl. — Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ and James Deane
- June 22-24, Englishtown, N.J. — Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ, and James Deane
- July 13-15, Madison, Ill. — Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ, and James Deane
- August 11-12, Monroe, Wash. — Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, and James Deane
- September 14-16, Grantsville, Utah — Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, and James Deane
- October 13-14, Irwindale, Calif. — Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, and James Deane
