How do you get a 2015 Mustang to tear things up on a frozen lake? You're going to need some custom 20" tires with 3200 studs fitted by hand. Yes, this is crazy wonderful.
This isn't just some random collection of beauty shots of a new Mustang powersliding for a while. Not that I would mind, but that's not the point.
This is intended to be Vaughn Gittin Jr's double-debut of 1) his paint scheme for the 2015 Formula Drift season 2) his prototype new-generation Mustang drift car. He'll be running his last-gen car in FD this year while he preps this new independent rear suspension model.
Also, this car has hand-studded ice tires, and it was not easy making it happen. Here's how director Matt Johnston explains it.
The studs that Pryme Tyre stud dude ordered didn't show up because UPS is afraid of snow. Bummer. My prod coordinator Frances tracked them to Minnesota, but it was too late. So Pryme Tyre dude drives through the night from WI to his buddies place in NH - who has some of the studs he wanted to use and started studding the tires. Took something like 30 straight hours of hand drilling and gluing to get them done, and he finished in the back of Vaughn's hauler onsite. We debated using WRC tires that were already made, but Vaughn really wanted to use a standard 20 inch. I am pretty sure they are/were some of the largest big stud tires ever made.
Took about 3200 studs total for all 4 tires.
Cut the ice 1/4 inch down each pass because of bonkers drifting wheel speeds.
Then we destroyed them in an afternoon.
Ice race dudes are pretty cool.
This is all just way too awesome.
Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.