MUSTANG RTR

We get behind the wheel of the RTR Spec 2 V8 monster.

As mountune’s Global Brand Manager tosses me the keys to the shiny new 2018 Mustang RTR Spec 2 parked out front, I can’t help but think today is going to be an alright kind of day!

The Mustang has been with us in Britain for a few years now, and I’ve been lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a few. Recent models even gained a facelift with the MY18 updates, becoming even more powerful (now 444bhp in V8 guise), more imposing, and even better through the corners than the first UK version.

But the car I’m driving today isn’t an ordinary Mustang; it’s been kitted out with the latest RTR Spec 2 upgrades that mountune offer.

What’s that all about then? Well, a (very) brief history lesson for those who may have missed it all; RTR (standing for Ready to Rock) is a vision from world-famous drift superstar – and huge Mustang fan! – Vaughn Gittin Jr. The RTR Team started offering clothes, merchandise, and performance upgrades for the Mustang. This lead to them offering the complete RTR models available today – all developed, tested and approved by Vaughn himself.

The RTR Spec 1 kit includes those imposing cosmetic upgrades from the RTR catalogue, while the Spec 2 car adds a host of chassis upgrades to the mix too. And that's the car I'm driving today.

Let’s start with the looks then. You’d never call the MY18 Mustang a dull-looking car, but the RTR models bring bucket-loads more road presence to the party. The trick when modifying a Mustang’s cosmetics is not to go full-bore with wildly wide arches and a massive Pikes Peak-style rear wing.

Instead, the name of the game is to work with what’s already there and subtly pick select styling cues to work with. Stuff like the ‘heat extractors’ in the bonnet (vents to you and I), for example, are much beefier than the originals yet don’t even look like an aftermarket add-on. That’s kind of the