It’s not easy for a 2025-model vehicle to turn heads on a weekend when Woodward Avenue is packed with classic cars, collectibles and one-off passion projects, but the 810-horsepower, $107,215 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 I drove Thursday, Aug. 13, did just that.
Custom matte-finish Leadfoot Gray paint and staggered high-performance Nitto NT G2 tires helped, but a new active exhaust is the feature that’ll endear itself to most people who live near the famous avenue.
The exhaust’s normal to sporty modes ranged from loud to suitable only for tracks, but the new stealth mode? The neighbors will love it.
That duality is the beauty of RTR’s approach, spokesperson Marcus Cervantes told me: “RTR makes fun vehicles. They’re ready for the road or drag stip.”
Easier said than done, but the RTR I drove was supremely manageable. It’s six-speed manual transmission – a prime candidate for temperamental behavior in vehicles with outlandish power output – was tractable from the moment I gingerly pulled out of my driveway. Didn’t want to scrape RTR’s low, black chin spoiler.
RTR also offers the Spec 3 with Ford’s stalwart 10-speed automatic transmission.
The car drew fans at every stop, and accelerated ably on the rare occasions when Cruise Week traffic allowed.
Mustang RTR by the numbers
The RTR Spec 3 starts with a Mustang powered by the Coyote 5.0L V8, fresh off the assembly line in Flat Rock, Michigan. The company’s engineers and designers fit it with a 3.0L Whipple supercharger, unique shocks, springs and sway bars and much more.
The “tactical” suspension is adjustable for public roads or competition. Most of the tweaks can be done without jacking the car up. RTR supplies a tool designed for the job.
Other changes to the Spec 3 – RTR’s Mustang lineup includes Spec 1, 2, 3 and 5. Don’t ask – include:
Ford-RTR alliance goes big time
RTR founder and guiding light Vaughn Gittin Jr. – a champion drifter and off-road racer – began working with Ford since 2010.
RTR – the name stands for Gittin’s motto “Ready to Rock – has engineers and designers in Concord, North Carolina, and Farmington, New Mexico. The company prides itself on track-ready performance vehicles that can be used every day, so it doesn’t publish zero to 60 mph times.
Ford will start building RTR-badged Mustangs and Broncos in its Flat Rock and Wayne, Michigan, facilities later this year and in early 2027, respectively.
RTR will continue to engineer its own high-performance Fords, including the 875-hp Mustang RTR Spec 5 and Bronco RTR ROVR (“Rover”), which has a lifted suspension, Fox shocks, 37-inch Nitto Grappler tires, unique lights and more.
Expect the factory-built Mustang RTR in dealerships later this year and its Bronco counterpart in early 2027.
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hometown hero: 810-hp Ford Mustang RTR causes a stir on Woodward
Reporting by Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
