2025 Mustang RTR Spec 3 Test: Not Going Far Enough
First sight: Adrenaline soared, but cold water was immediately poured on
When I first saw the 2025 Mustang RTR Spec 3 slowly pulling out of the booth, my heart skipped a beat. That wide body, that carbon fiber tail fin, that low-lying posture-shit, this is literally from the set of "Speed and Furious"! But when I actually sat in, lit the fire, and stepped on the accelerator, the feeling of "wow" didn't last long. It's not that it's bad, but that it could have been better, so good that it would make people swear. But it stopped at the last step, as if to say,"Hey, brother, we still have to think about daily commuting." Fuck the daily commute! This is an RTR Spec 3, a beast, not a vegetable cart!
Appearance: fierce enough, but not crazy enough
To be honest, the clothes RTR put on this Mustang were really beautiful. The huge honeycomb grille on the front face, the air intakes on both sides, and the iconic RTR light-emitting mid-screen-the rate of turning around at night will definitely explode. The wide-body arch of the rear wheel is also full of muscles. With the customized RTR rims, you stand there with a "Don't mess with me" expression. But if you look carefully, its front lip is not exaggerated enough, the side skirts are too conservative, and the size of the tail fin is not even as arrogant as the kits from some Mustang modification shops. Please, this is Spec 3, the top version! Even the Dodge Demon next door dared to remove all the rear seats, but wouldn't you RTR dare to cut the bumper five centimeters lower? On the outside, it won 80% of the Mustang's, but it was still so close to being "crazy". That breath was exactly what I wanted.
Power: The heart is strong enough, but the gearbox is holding back
Hidden under the hood is a 5.0-liter V8, plus RTR's own supercharger kit. The official has not announced the specific horsepower, but according to the perception of the buttocks, it is about 700 to 800 horsepower. With a kick of floor oil, the pleasure of being kicked out really makes people scream-but it is only limited to the "floor oil" blow. When accelerating in the middle of daily life, this 10-speed automatic transmission is always half a beat slow, as if hesitating,"Master, do you really want to be so fierce?" I tried a manual pick, but the reaction was still not straightforward enough. Come on, now even Ford's own Dark Horse is equipped with a Tremec manual transmission. Why don't you give a manual option for RTR? Even if it's a sequence! The upper limit of the powertrain is very high, but the adjustment of the gearbox seems to be held down by someone to prevent it from going wild completely.
Control: It wants to be a GT, but forgets it's a muscle car
After running three laps on the track, the first feeling was-steady. Magnetorheological shock absorbers and RTR-adjusted anti-roll bars provide excellent roll control of the body. The steering feel is also heavy enough, and the directivity is more than one level better than ordinary Mustang. But the problem is that it is too "stable", so stable that it is a bit boring. The tail is no longer slippery, the butt is no longer twisted, and the pleasure of losing control unique to high-horsepower rear-driving has been completely erased. RTR obviously wants to turn it into a machine that can brush the lap speed, but don't forget that the soul of a muscle car is the rough, wild, and even dangerous tail dynamics. The current Spec 3 is like a tame lion. Although it has an elegant posture, it will never tear people to pieces again. I must say that it is easier to drive than the Mustang GT350R, but it lacks the stimulation that makes people sweat.
Interior: The fighting atmosphere lacks a bit of gunpowder
Pulling open the heavy door, what came into view was a cockpit almost identical to an ordinary Mustang. The RTR only replaced logos with seats, some carbon fiber trim panels and a special steering wheel. You sit in a top-of-the-line modified Mustang that costs nearly 100,000 dollars, and you don't have a roll cage? No racing seats? No six-point seat belts? There's not even a dashboard for an Alcantara package? Please, the Shelby GT500 next door will at least give you a Recaro bucket chair! The interior atmosphere is actually not bad, and the texture is worth the price, but what you want is a "sense of combat", not a "sense of comfort". Moreover, the central control screen is still the same system as Ford's original factory. The UI is ugly and the response is sluggish. There is no instrument mode exclusive to RTR. You have already spent a lot of money to improve the power, can't you put some thought into creating a sense of exclusivity on the interior?
Conclusion: An excellent modified Mustang, but only one step away from legend
After driving for a whole day, my feelings for this 2025 Mustang RTR Spec 3 were very mixed. It is a good car, a fast car, a high-performance sports car that is exquisitely crafted, comfortable to drive, and suitable for daily commuting. The problem is, for nearly $90,000 (plus options) for an RTR Mustang, what you want is definitely not a "comfortable commuter sports car"-what you want is crazy, radical, and the ultimate experience that makes people climax. RTR did a lot of right things on Spec 3, but failed by the four words of "dare not do anything". It's good enough, but not crazy enough. If it were a little more radical-removing the rear row, replacing the manual gearbox, installing roll cages, giving real racing seats-it would definitely become a classic. But now, it's just a great Mustang modification solution, not a real heart-beating beast.
So, call it "Not Going Far Enough"? Hit the nail on the head. We wanted a wolf that would bite, but it only gave us a dog with a collar. Disappointed? A little. But at least, the sound and supercharged roar of the V8 can allow you to forgive all its imperfections the moment you hold the steering wheel tightly.
