The GTD models are part of Ford's plans to expand the Mustang nameplate into the higher echelons of the sports car and racing worlds.

Ford just unveiled the special-edition Mustang GTD Spirit of America. The patriotic-themed variant has a special color scheme and aero kit.

Ford is offering the first special edition Mustang GTD to mark the achievements of American ingenuity in what it's calling the Spirit of America. A Hyundai Tucson crashes into a 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R in a North Carolina dealership, causing extensive damage.

This latest iteration—effectively a special appearance package—borrows its name from a land-speed racing legend.

The Ford Mustang GTD has already cemented its place in the canon of great American sports cars, as it’s the first U.S.-made machine to break the seven-minute barrier at the Nürburgring. The car’s 6:57.685 lap puts it ahead of plenty of serious performance machines, including the Porsche 911 GT3 and the Ferrari 296 GTB.

Ford's ultimate Mustang, the Mustang GTD, will be available with a livery designed to appeal to both fans of the nameplate's history and America itself.

It’s Race Red, Performance White and Lightning Blue, for starters - like a car with this name could be anything different - the colour scheme aiming to hark back to the Mustang tribar from 1964. Naturally,

Ford is offering the first special edition Mustang GTD to mark the achievements of American ingenuity in what it's calling the Spirit of America.

The RTR is a more accessible, turbocharged track-focused option compared to the V8-powered Mustang Dark Horse.