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Cape Town - The all-new Ford Mustang has taken the world by storm with its brutish looks and blistering 5.0-litre V8 engine but what about a drifting version of the muscle car?
World Champion Drifter, Vaughn Gittin Jnr, stars in an awesome video showcasing his competition-spec 2016 Ford Mustang RTR drift car.
The car was first unveiled by Ford at the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Competing in Formula Drift
In January 2015, Vaughn debuted his prototype competition car, which his team used throughout the year as a platform to meticulously develop the new competition-spec drift car for the 2016 Formula Drift season.
The car will make its competition debut in April 2016 during the first round of the Formula Drift Championship in Long Beach, California. Although the competition car won’t be available to the public, the new Mustang RTR will be available for motorsport teams at select Ford dealers in the USA and Europe later in 2016.
160km/h drifts
The competition car, built on the new Mustang platform and prepared at the RTR special projects lab in Charlotte, North Carolina, sports engine tweaks and is fitted with a unique suspension coupled with Nitto NT05 tyres to ensure Vaughn will have all the traction he needs to drive in excess of 160km/h sideways on any track.
Watch: Vaughn Gittin Jr. tests a 670kW Ford Mustang RTR
Vaughn said: "It’s incredible to see how much drifting has progressed on all fronts in the last 10 years, It’s just crazy, the things we are doing on the track these days and I am pumped to have such an awesome car that will enable us to continue pushing the envelope."
Consistent with Ford’s internal initiatives, the RTR team utilized modern light-weighting technology by using composites and other light metal alloys to drop the car to a near 1270kg wet with a 50/50 weight distribution.
9-second drag Pony
Under the hood is a 436 cubic-inch Ford Performance/Roush Yates-built engine that revs to 9000r/min and makes over 670kW via individual throttle body injection breathing through K&N Performance Air Filters.
Vaughn shares his excitement on the car, commenting: "It’s crazy to think that I’m driving the equivalent of a 9-second drag racing car…. sideways. Needless to say, I’m pumped to get out there and have some fun!"
Watch: Ford Mustang RTR Engine Test
2016 Monster Energy Nitto Tyre Ford Mustang RTR specifications:
Engine - Ford Performance/Roush Yates built 436 cubic inch V8
Weight - 1270kg
Power – 670kW
Transmission - Andrews 4-speed dog box
Axles - Drive Shaft shop
Tyres - Nitto NT05
Wheels - RTR Tech 7 3-piece by HRE Wheels
Exterior - RTR carbon body panels: RTR wide body panels, RTR chin, RTR rear spoiler, RTR rocker splitter
Interior - Recaro seats, Takata racing harnesses
GOOD REAR-END: This 670kW Mustang drift car will, driven by Vaughn Gittin Jr. will compete in the 2016 Formula Drift championship. Image: Ford
