For the past few years, Ford has been providing its Mustang to drifters like Vaugh Gitten Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa. Ford recently put out a short video on just how capable the new drift cars are and boy can they get sideways.
Just like last year, Gitten Jr. will be piloting the Monster Energy-branded Mustang RTR, while DeNofa will be behind the wheel of the gorgeous purple and white pony car. The new rides, which will definitely get plastered with loads of shredded rubber, will be used for the 2018 Formula Drift season.
The cars, unsurprisingly, look awfully similar to the 2018 Mustang RTR that we saw last October. The new drift cars get the same front clip as the ’18 Mustang, but have been updated with the same touches as the RTR variant. There are the same trapezoidal LED lights on the grille, but those have been updated to the match the car’s exterior color. On Gitten Jr.’s car they’re green, while the lights are white on DeNofa’s Mustang.
There’s also a nice touch on the grille with the Mustang emblem that looks like it’s been designed via Ford’s personalization tool. Once again, the emblems have been customized to match the rest of the vehicle.
Unlike the regular Mustang RTR, which features an upgraded 5.0-liter V8 that can produce up to 700 horsepower, the drift cars are a little more powerful. The vehicles are reportedly running naturally-aspirated V8s that have been massaged by Roush Yates. The motors put out more than 900 horsepower and can rev all the way up to 9,000 rpm.
Seeing the Mustang RTRs get sideways and burn a set of tires is pretty enjoyable. Plus the sound the engines make is truly addictive. Anyone that’s a fan of Formula Drift knows these cars were put the test in Long Beach, Calif. on April 6, which was the opener for the season. The next event is being held in Orlando, Fla. On April 27.