It’s not unusual for one automaker to own both a mainstream and a luxury brand. What is unusual is when those brands willingly acknowledge each other in the same breath, let alone the same event. But during Monterey Car Week, Ford and Lincoln pulled off a double act at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca—one half designed to send your pulse skyrocketing, the other to bring it back down to earth.
The plan was simple, if a little sadistic: hot laps in Ford’s new 2025 Mustang GTD, the wildest road-going Mustang ever conceived, followed immediately by a spa session inside the 2025 Lincoln Navigator. To keep things clinical, Lincoln strapped a heart-rate monitor on me before the fun began. This wasn’t just marketing; this was science.
Mustang GTD: The Angriest Thoroughbred Yet
The Shadow Black GTD waiting in pit lane looked like a Mustang that had raided the paddock of Le Mans. Wide, hunkered down, and bristling with functional aero, it radiates menace even at idle. My chauffeur for the lap, Ford Performance junior driver Nathan Vanspringel, casually mentioned it was his first time around Laguna Seca. Perfect—nothing like mixing rookie nerves with 815 horsepower.
As we rocketed down the main straight, the GTD’s 5.2-liter supercharged V-8 unleashed a shove that felt like it could rearrange vertebrae. With 815 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, it makes the old Shelby GT500 look modest, and Ford’s claim seems downright conservative. Each snap of the eight-speed dual-clutch was punctuated by a snort from the titanium exhaust, the soundtrack equal parts NASCAR thunder and angry lion.
Turn 1 and the Andretti Hairpin confirmed what the spec sheet suggests: this isn’t a blunt instrument. On its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires and trick Multimatic DSSV suspension, the GTD carved through corners with the composure of a proper GT racer. Grip was relentless, body control unflappable. Even the infamous Corkscrew—a plunge equivalent to jumping off a five-story building—was dispatched with calm violence.
By the time we cooled down in the pits, my heart monitor flashed 115 bpm. That’s not far off cardio territory, and all I did was sit there.
Navigator: The Spa on Wheels
Then came the palate cleanser. A freshly detailed 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label sat waiting like a therapist’s couch on 24-inch wheels. Sliding inside after the GTD was like stumbling into a five-star hotel lobby after a mosh pit.
The Lincoln rep queued up the Rejuvenate app, which instantly reclined the seat, dialed up ventilated massage cushions, and filled the 28-speaker Revel audio system with soothing waterfall sounds. On the 48-inch panoramic display, digital cascades tumbled across the screen as my real heartbeat began to tumble in parallel.
Five minutes of guided meditation later, Lincoln checked the numbers: down 21 bpm. Not quite back to resting rate, but impressive given the adrenaline hangover. The Navigator had done its job—it was less “SUV” and more “rolling recovery lounge.”
Two Brands, One Pulse
Ford and Lincoln’s unlikely tag-team worked. The Mustang GTD isn’t just the most extreme Mustang ever—it feels like a proper exotic built to hunt GT3 cars while still wearing a license plate. The Navigator, meanwhile, proved it can soothe frayed nerves with tech that borders on wellness therapy.
Together, they pulled off a rare feat: one brand spiking the heart, the other calming it. If this is what the Blue Oval has in mind for brand synergy, we’ll happily be the guinea pigs. Because while the GTD made us sweat, the Navigator made us forget.
Source: MotorTrend
