2026 FORD MUSTANG RTR DEBUTS: ECOBOOST WITH ANTI-LAG, DARK HORSE PARTS

Say hello to the newest fun-focused Ford Mustang. Before you ask, yes, it's an EcoBoost. No, there's no manual transmission. But it looks like a GT, stops like a GT, and according to the team at Ford and Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s RTR Vehicles, handles like no other factory Mustang. It's called the Mustang RTR, and if you're not careful, it will come at you sideways. Literally.

This is the long-awaited Mustang EcoBoost upgrade teased way back at the beginning of the year in Detroit. It literally slid into the 2025 Detroit Auto Show as a camouflaged car with neon accents and Gittin Jr. at the wheel, promising it would be the most fun, exciting, turbo Mustang ever. Was it worth the wait? We spoke to the drift champion and Ford Mustang Chief Engineer Laurie Transou to find out. But first, here's what you need to know.

EcoBoost Power, RTR Attitude

To be brutally honest, on paper it doesn't sound like an immediate win. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder still develops 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, and it still goes to the ground through a 10-speed automatic transmission. It wears a Mustang GT front fascia for better curb appeal, fitted with an RTR grille and light-up nostrils for even more curb appeal. There are also RTR badges, special graphics around the car, mirror caps, 19-inch wheels, and a Mustang GT rear spoiler.

Inside, there are lime accents throughout the cabin, and behind those big wheels you'll find more lime on the brake calipers, though that's an optional upgrade. The interior also gets illuminated RTR sill plates, a serialized dash plaque, and the 'Stang's digital screens have special RTR graphics.

At this point, you might be thinking it sounds like an appearance package. But you'd be wrong.

Anti-Lag For The Engine, GT And Dark Horse Bits Underneath

The engine's output is the same, but the Mustang RTR gets an anti-lag system derived from the Ford GT race car. For those unfamiliar with turbo-speak, it's a system that keeps the turbocharger spooled and ready to, um, rock. It eliminates the lag you might experience if, say, you're slaloming through an autocross and lift for a sharp corner. In a normal Mustang EcoBoost, there might be a second or so between going full throttle on exit and actually getting full power once the turbo spools. The anti-lag eliminates that.

And you might be autocrossing this RTR Mustang more often than its non-lag siblings. The 19-inch wheels are needed to clear the six-piston Brembo front brakes, borrowed from the Mustang GT's Performance Package. Four-piston Brembos are at the back, and front/rear sway bars come from the Mustang Dark Horse. The RTR's rear subframe is also Dark Horse spec, as are suspension bushings. The steering is retuned, the optional MagneRider dampers are retuned, and the stability control in Track mode is also retuned.

The goal for this Mustang RTR, then, isn't to be a hairy muscle car on the edge of control. RTR's focus was to build a tossable, entertaining sports car with sharp reflexes that you can enjoy on a track – whether clipping apexes or going full hooligan with smoky sideways drifts. The Electronic Drift Brake is standard in this car, and without the heavy V8 up front, the EcoBoost Mustang is very close to that all-important 50/50 weight distribution.

"Chassis Was Number One"

And lest we forget, it's the brainchild of Vaughn Gittin Jr., founder and president of RTR Vehicles and a supremely successful drift champion many times over. Though he told CarBuzz the Mustang RTR is not a drift car, getting sideways and staying there is absolutely part of its DNA.

"So chassis was number one," Gittin Jr. explained. "Stiffening up the chassis; it still rides great on the street, but I think from the base performance pack, there was a bit more performance to be had from it. So the Dark Horse upgrades, the stiffer bushings, the stiffer sway bars, made a huge difference in the car the way it rolls. The stiffer bushings, especially under drifting, when you pull the handbrake and pick the throttle back up, there’s less motion in those bushings, which made a huge difference in the chassis feel."

The anti-lag was also envisioned as an assist for drifting, where it's critical to have instant-on power when you roll back onto the throttle. When he spoke to Ford engineers about it, Vaughn was pleasantly surprised to see they were open to the idea.

"I was slightly joking when I mentioned ‘well, how about some anti-lag?’ And the engineering team was like, ‘Actually, we developed that for the Ford GT and the Le Mans program, we have a patent and the strategy can probably work on this.' And sure enough they figured it out, and we did it."

Gittin Jr. concedes that drivers won't notice the anti-lag on the street. And he was very clear in explaining it wouldn't spit fire or go bonkers like high-strung rally cars. But he says it definitely makes a difference for enthusiastic driving.

Pricing And Availability

Ford isn't ready to talk about pricing just yet, but we're told the 2026 Mustang RTR will be attainable to people who might not be able to get a Mustang GT, never mind the ultra-exclusive, extremely expensive Mustang GTD. The package isn't available for convertibles, but it is offered on either the Premium, or base trim EcoBoost with the High Equipment Group. That means a starting price under $40,000 could be possible. They will go on sale in the summer of 2026.

And buyers won't have to go through special channels to get one. Mustang RTRs will be built by Ford, on the same assembly line as other ponys. RTR Vehicles is only the second third-party company in Ford's history to have vehicles built internally on the main line. As for the other, we're guessing you've heard of a guy named Carroll Shelby.

2025-10-16T14:09:49Z