Vaughn Gittin Jr. Shares First Look At 2026 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5: Video

Vaughn Gittin Jr. – the man behind RTR Vehicles – has a soft spot for the Mustang. While an EcoBoost-powered RTR pony is on the way to fill the gap left behind by the EcoBoost High Performance Package, in the meantime, the 2026 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 will tide Blue Oval enthusiasts over. Gittin himself took to his YouTube channel to show off the vehicle in person, giving a firsthand tour of the new high-performance pony car.

Gittin calls the 2026 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 “the apex of [RTR] performance offerings.” He invites Lindsay Ross, lead designer at RTR, to help introduce the Mustang RTR Spec 5. What really sets the pony apart is its widebody kit, the design of which was inspired by the long string of RTR drift cars. It’s very “sleek” and embodies the modern RTR aesthetic while maintaining a functional, aerodynamic profile.

“We thought about the design as an aerodynamic system,” Ross says, “where design should be functional, in my opinion.”

The front and rear fenders are composed of composite with integrated tire cooling vents, along with the the rocker panels and front bumper extensions. Meanwhile, the front splitter, rocker splitters, rear quarter splitter, and wake towers are made from carbon fiber. Under the car, it features an exhaust system developed in partnership with Borla. Gittin, who’s a self-proclaimed “sticker” for exhaust notes, says that the 2026 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 is the “baddest-ass” sounding Mustang ever built by the company.

“This is probably gonna be the stupidest, but one of the coolest stupidest things you’ve ever seen,” Gittin says, pointing out the vehicle’s gas gap. It had to be specially designed since they weren’t able to modify any part of the fuel system on a production car, which made it a “huge pain in the ass.” The solution was to create a fuel door that opened upward and away from the fender vents without compromising the 2026 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5’s looks.

In total, just 50 units of the 2026 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5 will be built, with prices starting out at $159,999, including the cost of the donor base Mustang GT with the 401A equipment group and Performance Package.