Ford's fastest Mustang is so wide it had to speed through legal loophole to avoid being treated the same as a truck

With the GTD coming in just 5 inches shy of the Bronco, the automaker needed to find a savvy legal loophole to stop the fastest Ford Mustang being so wide that it would need significant changes akin to all modern trucks.

The new Mustang GTD has been quite a hit already,

Its mean and aggressive front end personifies its raging performance, walking the walk after talking the talk.

But it could have looked completely different if Ford hadn’t found a loophole that would have seen it have a truck’s appearance.

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Fastest Ford Mustang nearly looked drastically different

As the fastest Ford Mustang to date, the GTD has been appreciated by the likes of Max Verstappen.

And its aesthetics have won over Jay Leno, who has pointed out his favourite element of the ambitious bodywork.

Ford was nearly forced to change its looks, though.

According to regulations, any vehicle – usually trucks – wider than 80 inches needs to have amber marker and clearance lamps, like those seen on the Bronco.

The Mustang GTD clocks in at over 81 inches.

You might have noticed the new fastest Ford Mustang doesn’t have them, though.

Why?

Well, Mustang GTD Design Manager Anthony Colard revealed that they found a workaround to the law, which classifies these wide trucks as ‘dual-purpose’ vehicles – effectively, they are used for work and pleasure.

Speaking to The Drive, Colard claimed that the Mustang GTD is considered a single-purpose vehicle, meaning it’s never a ‘work’ vehicle.

“It is not a work vehicle. It’s not like a big truck or lorry, or something else. You’re not going to tow anything with it. You’re not,” he said.

The designer was then quizzed about whether it was hired as a company car, to which he responded that as long as the car has a ‘not for hire’ sign, it remains a single-use vehicle.

What’s next for the Mustang series?

There is some activity in the Ford garage that hints at a new look for the series.

Having teased a car with a massive rear wing, the GTD is getting a Shelby successor.

A track-focused 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R will take the spirit of the fastest Ford Mustang and make it a sharp and nimble race car.

For the next four years, at least, the Mustang DNA will stay the same,

But that could all be set to change in 2029 when Ford predicts the V8 powertrain might have to switch over to a hybrid model.

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