iRacing Guide: New Ford Mustang GT4

With iRacing having pushed to increase its sports car racing roster over the past year or so, with the main focus being on adding new LMDh/LMh and GT3 vehicles, it’s now time for a new GT4 contender to arrive on the scene.

The rumbling Ford Mustang GT4 has arrived as part of iRacing’s Season 4 update in September, the vehicle joining its GT3 sibling in the service. 

Coach Dave Academy dug deep into the technical makeup of the latest challenger for iRacing’s growing GT4 class so that you know how to get the most from it, and whether it’ll suit your driving style. 

Introduction to The Ford Mustang GT4

The first Mustang GT4 was introduced by Ford for the 2017 motorsport season, the vehicle competing in series like the IMSA Pilot Challenge, the GT4 European Series, as well as British GT. While achieving a wide range of success in the US, the vehicle found things tougher across the Atlantic, but did achieve excellent results on occasion.  

For the 2024 motorsport season, it was time for a refresh. Following the release of the road-going Ford Mustang Dark Horse, a new GT4 racer based on it was unveiled. Alongside the deployment of new styling inspired by the Mustang Dark Horse, the new GT4 machine was graced with a revised aero package and a new 5.0-litre Coyote V8 engine. 

The new car immediately showed its potential with a third-place finish in its second appearance in the 2024 IMSA Pilot Series, while a pair of runner-up results ended up coming for the car mid-way during the 2024 European GT4 fixture.

Following a year of data gathering, the revised Mustang GT4 secured a first IMSA Pilot win at Road America in August, which followed the vehicle scoring a pair of wins early in the 2025 GT4 European Series. 

The Mustang GT4 will be available to use in a variety of racing series within iRacing, such as the GT4 Falken Tyre Challenge. Here are a few examples of where you can race it:

• GT4 Falken Tyre Challenge
• Nurburgring Endurance Championship
• IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
• Sports Car Challenge by Falken Tyre
• Endurance events run over a variety of distances, normally open setup and multi-driver

The Basic Car Setup

GT4 cars are designed to be entry-level GT cars that teach drivers about the basics of driving a race car. They achieve this by relying primarily on mechanical grip to produce laptime, rather than downforce like their bigger and more powerful GT3 siblings.

Like GT3 cars, GT4 cars can be built in multiple configurations, with the engine being placed wherever they are in their road-going counterparts. 

The Mustang GT4 comes equipped with a racing version of the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated Coyote V8 used in the road-going Mustang Dark Horse, the powerplant being placed out front. Its power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission, which is placed rearward to try and give the Mustang a balanced weight distribution. 

• The front-engined placement means the Mustang is more stable than its mid-engined competitors
• Its naturally aspirated powerplant means throttle response is crisper than vehicles featuring turbocharging technology

Aerodynamics and Bodywork

With the Mustang GT4 designed to use as little downforce as possible, it has a much more simplified aero package than its GT3 sibling. It features a shallow front splitter and a rear spoiler, though they produce little in the way of downforce, and only the latter is adjustable within iRacing. 

As a result, you’re better off focusing on the mechanical setup of the vehicle if you’re looking to tweak the balance of the vehicle. You may be able to tweak the balance marginally at high speed by altering the rear wing angle, though it’s better used for reducing drag at the cost of a little stability.   

• At high-speed tracks like Daytona, reducing the rear wing angle can help decrease drag and improve straight-line speed
• Using higher rear wing levels can improve stability through high-speed bends, though watch out not to go too far and overload the front, which cannot be altered in relation to the rear spoiler
• Like in real life, the Mustang GT4 features adjustable TC and ABS settings

Need some setups?

Our iRacing Setup Subscription allows you to focus purely on your on-track performance no matter the car, including the Ford Mustang GT4. And, with access to our Coach Dave Delta app, installing them couldn’t be any easier.

• Race setups
• Qualifying setups
• Onboard laps
• Data packs
• Delta AI (Auto Insights)

Handling And Performance On Track

Being a front-engined car, the Mustang GT4 is very stable when out on circuit. The heavy V8 tends to push the nose into understeer through slow and high-speed bends, meaning it’s key to get the vehicle properly slowed down before the apex so that you can get on the throttle nice and early. Fail to do this, and the car will push on exit, forcing you to blend out of the throttle and lose momentum.

This approachability makes it excellent over kerbs, with the Mustang barely flinching as you launch it across them. This makes it a very forgiving car, which can pay dividends when trying to be consistent over longer stints. As a result of the lack of downforce, tweaking the mechanical setup is the best way to change the vehicle’s character.

The Mustang is nicely communicative during the corner, allowing you to reliably predict what it will do next and adjust the controls accordingly. 

Despite the V8 being naturally aspirated, the torquey powerplant can light up those rear tyres if you aren’t careful, so controlled throttle application is key. If you don’t, you could burn out the rear tyres over longer stints, which will make the problem even worse.

The Mustang GT4 enjoys a good top speed when compared to the competition, which proves useful in battle.  

• The Mustang GT4 is stable under braking, though it isn’t the most effective when compared to some of its rivals 
• Tweaking brake bias is a good way to change its corner entry balance
• Move brake bias forward to increase stability, and dial it backwards to induce extra rotation at turn-in
• Altering mechanical parameters like roll bars and suspension settings are the best way to tweak the Mustang GT4’s handling balance
• Stiffening the front will generally induce more understeer and stability, while softening it helps to allow the front to move in more and work the rear harder
• The inverse is true for the rear end 

Best Tracks For The Ford Mustang GT4 In iRacing

The Mustang GT4’s strong straight-line performance makes it excellent on tracks with long straights like Monza and Spa, though its relative lack of poise when compared to models like the McLaren 570s GT4 and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 ensures it’s not as effective through faster and tighter corners.     

• The Mustang GT4’s impressive top speed makes it effective at tracks like Daytona, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps
• Venues with a lot of changes of direction won’t suit the Mustang as well, so be cautious at tracks like Aragon and Imola
• The Mustang GT4’s approachability makes it an excellent choice for less experienced GT4 drivers, as you should quickly feel at ease and be able to approach its limits without losing confidence

How It Compares To Other Cars In The Class

The Mustang GT4 can be most closely compared to the similarly front-engined Mercedes-AMG GT4, which shares its approachability and general understeer balance through a variety of corner types.

In some ways, it’s even more docile than the Merc thanks to its slightly softer-feeling rear end, and it also enjoys a superior top speed. It pays the penalty under braking though, where the Merc is slightly superior. 

• The Mustang GT4 is arguably the most approachable GT4 in iRacing, putting it ahead of even other front-engined cars like the AMG GT4 and BMW M4 GT4
• It’s not as agile as mid-engined vehicles like the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and McLaren 570s GT4 

Pilots who prefer to get their vehicles slowed down well before the apex and pointing the nose squarely at the exit will get on well with the Mustang GT4, as this method is the best way to extract laptimes from it. Smoothness is key to not induce entry or mid-corner understeer, or oversteer on exit by spinning up the rear wheels.   

If you fancy checking out the other GT4 cars iRacing has to offer, have a look at Coach Dave Academy’s guide to the class.  

Final Verdict: Is The Ford Mustang GT4 Right For You?

The Mustang GT4 will be best suited to drivers new to the GT4 class in iRacing, as its predictable handling means you can play with it around the lap without worrying about it biting you too much. Vehicles like the Porsche and McLaren GT4 racers can be more temperamental in this regard, so the Mustang provides an excellent entry point to the baby GT category.  

That aggressive V8 can prove problematic if you’re a little too heavy on the throttle, though you should be able to tune this out once you’ve cut a few laps and got used to the engine’s character. 

Drivers who prefer their cars to rotate more naturally will be better suited to options like the McLaren 570s GT4 and Porsche 718 Cayman GT4. 

• Aggressive Drivers: 7.0/10
• Endurance Racers: 7.0/10
• Casual Sim Racers: 9.5/10

Wrapping Up

The Ford Mustang GT4 is a welcome addition to iRacing’s GT4 roster, with its throaty V8 and movie star looks allowing it to stand out against its rivals. It’s one of, if not the most approachable, cars in the category, too, while its potent top speed makes it an effective weapon in racing scenarios, making it an excellent all-rounder.