The Ford Mustang GTD is unquestionably the halo performance car in Ford’s lineup right now. It has the same basic shape as a Mustang, but under its skin, it’s much more like a supercar than your standard-issue Mustang. Taking ownership of one of these 800-horsepower, exotic Mustangs is not an easy process. 

For starters, you’ll have to shell out the approximately $350,000 that the GTD costs, and that’s only if you’re lucky enough to get the opportunity. Ford requires prospective Mustang GTD buyers to submit an application, through which the company determines who the GTD allocations will go to. Should you be fortunate enough to have your Mustang GTD application accepted so you can begin the order process and later take delivery of your car, Ford then recommends that owners wait an additional 30 days after delivery before they actually drive their GTD on the road.

The reason is not for something mechanical; it’s because of the paint on the GTD’s unique carbon fiber body panels, which Ford says needs an additional 30 days to cure before any sort of paint protection film (PPF) is applied. The Mustang GTD’s body is wider and more aggressive than the regular Mustang’s and uses carbon fiber panels throughout. The car’s fenders, hood, trunk lid, roof, and door sills are all made of the exotic, lightweight material — to which Ford then applies the paint color of the customer’s choice, with nearly unlimited custom options for buyers who want something out of the ordinary.

Because of the carbon-painted panels, Ford recommends Mustang GTD owners wait the extra time before driving their cars. More specifically, owners should wait 30 days after delivery before applying paint protection film. PPF is a clear film that’s used to protect paint jobs from long-term sun and water damage, as well as the inevitable rock chips and road grime you get while driving. It’s a popular addition for cars of all types these days, and most would agree that PPF is a necessity on a car as rare and expensive as a Mustang GTD. Even more so with the likelihood of the car’s extra-wide tires throwing up rocks onto the paint.

If you were to ignore Ford’s advice and apply PPF to the car before the paint has fully cured, it could result in permanent air bubbles and other long-term paint damage — which is undesirable on any car, and even more so on a Mustang GTD. The good news is that experienced PPF installers should be able to look at the car and know exactly when the paint has cured.

It might be a bummer take delivery of your brand-new, carbon-bodied Mustang GTD and then have to wait to go for a spirited drive. We’re assuming most owners will be fine waiting an extra 30 days before enjoying their cars. Because if you’ve already gone through the long process of having your application chosen and then spec’ing out your dream GTD build, what’s an extra 30 days of patience?