Ford and RTR have unveiled the seventh-generation Mustang Spec-5 FD Formula Drift competition vehicle.

Amidst the online debut of tire screeching, handbrake-pulling action, two-time Formula Drift champion Vaugh Gittin Jr. announced his return to competition. This announcement and vehicle debut was made just days before participating in the 2023 Formula Drift Long Beach event, April 7th-8th.

The Spec-5 FD boasts some exciting enhancements, both visually and mechanically. On the inside, competition enhancements cite more than 1,300 horsepower and upgraded suspension. The body features heavy modification, from the green multi-spoke wheels shrouded by a widebody kit, to the exaggerated aero and additional lighting embedded in the grille. The livery was inspired by photographs from the James Webb Space Telescope. Like before, RTR will offer parts for the S650 Mustang in the future.

In tandem with this reveal was a demonstration of the competition-inspired electronic drift brake, available in seventh-gen mustangs equipped with the Performance Electronic Parking Brake. This can be had with either the 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-4 or 5.0-liter Coyote V8, paired to the six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic. The electronics emulate a hydraulic drift brake, similar to the one mounted inside the RTR Formula Drift Mustang. It can offer more than three times the braking force of a conventional mechanical parking brake system.

RTR and Vaughn Gittin Jr. have a longstanding history with the Blue Oval and the venerable pony car and his return to competition– behind the wheel of a Mustang, no less– is exciting for drift fans. He will be sharing driving duties in 2023 with teammate Adam LZ; other team members include Chelsea DeNofa and James Deane, the newest member.

Our “Over the Edge” guy Greg Carloss spoke with Rhys Conklin, a young drifter with a personal endorsement from Vaughn Gittin Jr. We’re big fans of sliding around the track ourselves, and we can’t wait to see what the Spec-5 FD can do.