Ford Mustang GTD coming to Australian roads after all
Despite leaving the factory in left-hand drive only, one Ford Mustang GTD is set to be registered in Australia.
The Ford Mustang GTD is the blue oval’s challenger to the likes of Porsche’s 911 GT3 lineup, having battled the German sports car for supremacy around its home turf of the Nürburgring.
Unlike the 911, the Mustang GTD is exclusively built in left-hand drive, leaving it off the table to be sold in Ford showrooms in Australia – but that hasn’t stopped one dedicated owner from going to great lengths to make sure his can be driven on local roads.
Melbourne’s Mustang Motorsport founder, Craig Dean, was fortunate enough to to be one of the few customers chosen by Ford globally to put his name down for a Mustang GTD, which has now arrived in Australia, where it’ll be converted from left- to right-hand drive.
Dean’s other business, Crossover Car Conversions, will make this Mustang GTD what is expected to be the only right-hand drive example in the world, and will ensure it complies with local engineering standards and Australian Design Rules (ADRs), allowing it to be registered locally.
In doing so, it’ll join other vehicles converted by the firm, including the Ford Bronco, Dodge Viper, and Chevrolet Corvette.
As previously reported, Dean had to be given an exemption to be personally imported, something which was approved by the Australian Government’s Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Register.
Jordan Mulach
The Mustang GTD is equipped with the optional Performance Package, adding a front aero kit and an adjustable rear wing, while it’s powered by a 5.2-litre supercharged V8 engine, producing 600kW and driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle.
The impending conversion could be set to face some challenges, as – despite running on the same core chassis as the standard Mustang – the Mustang GTD features a number of unique mechanical components.
These include its double-wishbone front suspension setup (rather than the standard MacPherson struts) and a hydraulic power steering system (instead of an electronically assisted rack).
