Zac Quinn 
It’s no secret that Ford CEO Jim Farley loves racing. And as the head of Ford Motor Company, he likely had more than a little to do with the approval of the awe-inspiring Mustang GTD super muscle car. And he’s mighty proud of it. So much so that he’s called out the rest of the auto industry’s top brass to a race.
“I’ll take track time in a Mustang GTD against any other auto boss in their best road car,” Farley stated in a recent press release.
With a an IMSA Pilot Challenge race under his belt in a last-gen Mustang GT4, along with seasons of vintage racing wins, Farley may just be the most decorated auto executive out there when it comes to motorsport.
Putting him behind the wheel of an 800-horsepower Mustang that’s closely related to the GT3 race car (but with more power than the GT3, and mandatory minimum equipment to make it road legal), there are few auto executives that would be worthy of the challenge. However, there are a few, and the Ford CEO wouldn’t have to look very far to find a worthy opponent.
Who Should Ford CEO Jim Farley Race With The Ford Mustang GTD?
To exercise our speculation, consider Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and GM President Mark Reuss. Two big cross-town rivals for the Ford CEO.
Tavares, who is ultimately in charge of America’s Dodge and Ram brands, as well as Italy’s Alfa Romeo and Maserati, has been competing in motorsport since 1983, with experience in both rally racing and endurance racing. Despite taking a hardline stance on electrification for the entire Stellantis portfolio of brands (made up of both PSA Group and FCA), Tavares is no stranger to the heat, sounds and drama of automotive competition, taking several podiums throughout his career. Taveres could theoretically pilot the recently revealed Maserati MCXtrema, which is an extremely limited edition track car with 730 hp. It’s based on the road-legal MC20, a mid-engined supercar which has 621 hp. Unless of course we’re talking about a drag race, in which case Tavares has access to the 1,025 hp Dodge Charger Demon 170, which is capable of 8-second passes.
Reuss, meanwhile, is fully licensed and certified to test GM performance vehicles on the Nürburgring, and is known to be one of the most hands-on auto executives in the business when it comes to validating the companies most extreme future products. And at GM, that list isn’t short. From the 1,000 horsepower GMC Hummer EV, to the Cadillac V-Series family of sedans, and the record-breaking C8 Corvette Z06, Reuss may oversee the most diverse lineup of performance vehicles in the automotive industry. And with even more radical C8 Corvette variants on the way, such as the upcoming ZR1 or even more extreme Zora, Reuss wouldn’t have trouble finding a worthy track weapon to dispatch the Mustang GTD.
Of course, none of this is likely to materialize. But the people would love to see it.
The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD is truly a race car for the road, featuring carbon-fiber body panels, super light magnesium wheels, an inboard pushrod rear suspension with Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve dampers, and even adjustable aero similar to F1’s DRS system. Power comes way of a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, updated from the Shelby GT500, to make 800 horsepower, which is sent through a carbon fiber torque tube to a Tremec-sourced 8-speed rear transaxle, while the spent gasses are pushed through a titanium exhaust system. Handling all of that power are massive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires measuring 325mm wide in front and 345mm in the rear. It’s all mental, especially for a Mustang, which is why it’s expected to cost $300,000 USD and up.
