The Mustang GTD is so broad that it requires safety lights similar to those on a Raptor—but Ford discovered a workaround.

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      There’s a reason why extremely wide vehicles like the Ford F-150 Raptor, Bronco Raptor, and Ram TRX (and RHO) come equipped with amber running lights at both the front and back: it’s a legal requirement.

      It turns out that the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD is legally too wide to be driven on public U.S. roads without the amber marker lights similar to those found on the large off-road vehicles mentioned earlier. At the launch event for the Mustang GTD, Design Manager Anthony Colard informed The Drive that Ford discovered a loophole in the law, allowing them to bypass the addition of marker lights on the $325,000 (starting price) Mustang.

      Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 dictates that larger vehicles—primarily trucks, SUVs, and trailers—which are 80 inches or wider must include clearance lamps on the sides and marker lights in the center, adhering to specific positioning and spacing requirements. Ironically, this regulation aims to enhance visibility, although it's tough to overlook these massive vehicles on the road.

      A typical Mustang is about 75 inches wide. The Mustang GTD, on the other hand, measures 81.8 inches, making it six inches wider and giving it a somewhat exaggerated appearance. By this measurement, the Mustang GTD should have required amber marker and clearance lights. However, the team sought an alternative and found a solution.

      Colard explained that the requirement for these lamps applies to larger vehicles typically categorized as trucks, as they are seen as dual-purpose vehicles when homologated. This classification allows these vehicles to be purchased by companies and registered for use as work trucks.

      However, the Mustang GTD is not classified as a dual-purpose vehicle and was homologated as a single-purpose vehicle instead.

      I specifically asked what would happen if someone owned a racetrack and considered the GTD as a work vehicle. Colard responded that a person could buy the GTD through their company, but emphasized, “it is not a work vehicle. It’s not like a big truck or lorry or something. You’re not going to tow anything with it. You’re not,” he clarified.

      “Any vehicle you can put a sticker on stating ‘not for hire’ would then fall into that dual-purpose category where the lights are required,” Colard explained.

      Ford managed to leverage a specific technical interpretation of the FMVSS regulations to ensure the Mustang's design did not necessitate lighting typical of pickup trucks.

      If someone were to purchase a GTD and use it as a work vehicle, for example, as a track taxi, it certainly represents an interesting loophole.

      Do you know of another legal loophole? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected]