When I was a child, I had a very earnest answer to the question, but it was so off-centre that it confused even the most knowledgeable – the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16. My love for it came from repetitively watching the few rally and Dakar video cassettes that were lent to my father by veteran auto journalist Bob Rupani and his brother, Gul. The 205’s classic hatch design, blown up with full Group B wide-body fenders and a vicious mid-mounted turbo engine, caught my imagination. I even got to sit in a regular 205 hatch, an ex-consulate car in Delhi. As I have grown older, my love for the 205 has not diminished, but my fondness for other cars has grown.

The Mustang has always been one of my all-time favourites, and I am sure it is for many. The classic 65 red convertible, which has been a pop culture icon is a contender, but over the years, as I have dwelled deeper into the history of this car, and had a chance to see many up close and even drive a few, my preference has changed to the monstrous 1966 Shelby GT350 R — the full racing version of the 66 fastback, with performance upgrades by the legendary Carroll Shelby. I’ll take mine in Wimbledon White with Ford Racing Blue stripes.

A favourites list cannot go without Ferrari, and mine is another legendary racing car — the 250 GT SWB. I have become fonder of racing versions of cars. Not full racing versions that require a team of mechanics to run, but those that can easily and legally be driven on the street as well as the racetrack. Practical thoughts given to lofty ambitions that require an incredibly big bank balance. Let’s turn that question around – What is your favourite ‘odd-ball’ car?

The car that won’t necessarily be on anyone’s list. Mine is the Matra Simca Rancho. A 1980s oddity made by the now-defunct Matra company, it was an early take on the concept of the soft-roader or crossover. It had inbuilt spotlights, fender flares, and a step-up rear roofline with large side windows. It was also just a three-door, and as I later found out, underpowered and mostly made of fibreglass. I liked it because it looked cool. It also helped that I had a few Matchbox versions of the car, and even managed to sit one on multiple occasions. A family friend owned what was perhaps the only one of its kind, in India, back in the late 80s. I do not know what happened to that car, but I do hope I can own it one day.

The post Classically Speaking: What’s my favourite car? The answer is not quite simple first appeared on Turbocharged.

Part of making the Mustang GTD insane is under the hood, packing in a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine pushing an unholy 800PS+. This is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch rear transaxle and a carbon fibre driveshaft. While performance numbers haven’t been revealed, we can safely say that this one will undoubtedly be fast.

Complimenting this unholy power output are a number of enhancements to the Mustang. This includes an aggressive 100mm wider full carbon fibre body with plenty of flicks to aid downforce generation. Other cool bits include 20-inch magnesium wheels, carbon fibre brakes, and a titanium exhaust setup.

The real party tricks come in the form of a semi-active suspension system which is a dual ride height setup as well as active aerodynamics. A notable highlight of the active aero is the fact that it acts like the Drag Reduction System on a Formula One car.

So, what is Ford going to do with the Mustang GTD? Well, they’re going to take on the Nurburgring Nordschleife and they are gunning for a lap time under seven minutes. If they do achieve it, the GTD will truly cement itself as the fastest Mustang ever. When the GTD is not going around the Green Hell, it will retail at a price tag of USD 300,000 (around Rs 2.48 crore), which is equivalent to one Ferrari Roma and a regular V8 Mustang GT.

The post The Ford Mustang GTD heads into supercar-beating territory first appeared on Turbocharged.