2024 Mustang RTR Spec 2 First Look: Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Version of the 7th-Gen Mustang
RTR Vehicles shows off the first of several special editions of the new Mustang.
Last fall, Ford revealed its ICE-powered seventh-generation Mustang, giving fans and enthusiasts one of the most capable pony cars in the brand's history. Until recently, the excitement has been anchored by the Dark Horse model, boasting 500 hp and superb track capabilities. Today, there is a new special edition hitting the market and to quote RTR Vehicles tagline, it is "Ready to Rock." Formula Drift superstar and champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR Vehicles firm announced the release of the 2024 Mustang RTR Spec 2, the first special edition to be announced by a tuner-car design house. The Spec 1 and Spec 2 packages will be available from Ford dealers when the new Mustang hits showrooms in the summer of 2023.
This isn't the company's first foray into the specialty Mustang market. The RTR Vehicle brand was born in 2010 and Gittin, its president and founder, has a close working relationship with Ford Motor Company and its hot rod division, Ford Performance. The North Carolina-based tuning company has collaborated with Ford on skunkworks projects and high-profile vehicle builds, along with major sponsorship of its Formula Drift professional team that includes four competition-ready Mustangs. We were on hand for the Mustang RTR Spec 2 reveal and our initial impressions were very positive. The style updates and wheel/tire package offer a more aggressive look and the extensive list of suspension upgrades suggests it will be a well-handling car that you can put through its paces on the autocross, road course, or any other spirited driving situation that suits your fancy.
Carving Corners and Shredding Tires
The seventh-generation Mustang offers a similar underpinning to the previous S550 chassis, enabling aftermarket companies to easily carry over products. The Mustang RTR Spec 2 comes standard with RTR Tactical Performance Suspension components for a better driving experience on and off the track. The stance comes courtesy of lowering springs but the group went a step further than just a better, racier look. The Tactical shocks and struts are adjustable, along with adjustable front and rear anti-sway bars, enabling enthusiasts to get after it on canyon roads or the hard turns at their favorite road course. And let's not forget the RTR heritage of drifting; Gittin bragged in the press conference about the car's tire-shredding drifting fun. In fact, he and his teammates were instrumental in the engineering of the electronic drift brake that is optional on the new Mustang.
Custom Upgrades
The press release hinted at customization that goes beyond the standard Spec 1 and Spec 2 packages, and we are going to assume there will be a supercharged edition sometime in the future, like there has been with previous RTR models. The Gen-4 Coyote powerplant is a step up from the Gen-3; the Dark Horse is reported to have 500 hp while the base GT model comes with 480 hp. If that isn't enough, aftermarket tuning solutions are predicted to come quickly, with news that the platform uses a similar ECU to the current F-150. Companies like SCT and HP Tuners have recently unlocked the ECU for better performance and fuel efficiency.
Styling the RTR Way
"We treated the OEM sheetmetal from Ford as drapery, with the RTR components pushing themselves outward through the Mustang's volumes and inviting you into the experience," commented Lindsay Ross, RTR Vehicles lead designer and creative director. The build team kept emphasizing the theme "Movement Through Space" when they presented the styling and performance upgrades.
It should be of no surprise that RTR added its accent lighting in the grill, but that isn't the only upgrade on the front fascia. The lights are part of a new upper grill, which is augmented by an RTR-designed lower- and side-grill package. There is a new splitter for better aerodynamics and an additional undertray extension—you will definitely know it's an RTR lurking in the rearview mirror. The group didn't stop with the front fascia updates; the sides of the vehicle are enhanced with rocker splitters, giving it a distinct look, and of course a new wing sits on the rear deck and other accents are added to the backside.
The next-gen RTR wheels are fantastic. Checking in at 20x9.5, they are multispoke wheels and we are thankful they aren't black. Nitto is a longtime partner of RTR Vehicles and the drift team so it isn't a surprise that the new Aero 5 wheels feature Nitto G2 rubber (275/35/20)
The rest of the vehicle has the usual assortment of badges and graphics and isn't overdone like other tuner vehicles on the market. Finally, the Mustang RTR comes intact with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.
As mentioned earlier, the Spec 1 and Spec 2 conversions will be available in the summer of 2023 when the 2024 Mustangs begin showing up on Ford dealer floors. The Spec 2 pricing begins at $12,494 above the sticker price of the vehicle. We are looking forward to seeing the Spec 3 and other new models coming later this year, and you can expect to see us slip behind the wheel of a few different RTR vehicles as they become available for testing.