Network
What does a Grammy-winning performer want to hear after the screams of the crowds die down when he leaves the stage? In this case, he wants to hear the sweet sounds of a supercharged Coyote roaring as he slays tires and gets slideways — poppin’ and a rollin’ with the top down.
The artist in question is T-Pain, and you might say he is in love with a drifter. His latest high-performance machine is a 2025 Mustang RTR Spec 5-D convertible built just for him by Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his merry band of Fun-Havers at RTR Vehicles.
RTR’s James Dean won Formula Drift’s Round 2: Road to the Championship, but that wasn’t the only news to come out of the event. RTR revealed its latest collaboration with rapper T-Pain — a 2025 Mustang RTR Spec 5-D convertible. Its largely carbon fiber body is slathered in a unique livery accented by vibrant pink and highlighted by a street map of T-Pain’s hometown, Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo Credit: RTR Vehicles)
“T-Pain is as much a car enthusiast as he is a musician, and being part of his rapid progression behind the wheel in drifting — and his Nappy Boy Automotive movement — is something we’re incredibly proud of at RTR Vehicles,” said Vaughn Gittin Jr., Founder and President of RTR Vehicles.
Revealed at Larry Chen’s Type S Night Lights Pre-Meet Event (in advance of Formula Drift’s Round 2: Road to the Championship event) at Road Atlanta on May 7th, 2025, this isn’t the first time RTR and T-Pain teamed up. However, this Nappy Head x RTR collab did produce RTR’s first-ever convertible drift car.
“It all started with the special ‘C137’ Mustang RTR Spec 2 just a couple of years ago. Now, he was ready to level up, and that’s exactly what we did with the first-ever Mustang RTR Spec 5-D Convertible,” Gittin added. “The RTR Vehicles team absolutely nailed this build, blending RTR’s philosophy of redefining performance with a style that only T-Pain and RTR could pull off. I can’t wait to see him stand on the loud pedal and drive it like it was meant to be driven!”
Rolling on the same chassis, suspension, and Aero 5 wheels as the Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD competition cars, this convertible is the first purpose-built drift droptop created by RTR. Under its hood is a Ford Performance Aluminator Gen 4 Coyote crate engine boosted by a Whipple Gen 5 3.0-liter supercharger with a color-matched matched lid. This combination is good for 1,000 horsepower or more, which is channeled to the rear tires by a TREMEC manual transmission. T-Pain gets vital data from the Haltech digital dash, and he kicks the car sideways with that big, billet aluminum RTR fun stick, a.k.a. drift brake.
The result is a one-off S650 powered by a Ford Performance Aluminator crate Coyote topped by a Whipple Gen 5 3.0-liter supercharger. This combination can generate four digits, which is more than enough to convert the Falken Azenis rubber mounted on RTR Aero 5 wheels into copious clouds of smoke.
Not only does T-Pain’s 2025 Mustang RTR Spec 5-D convertible sport a unique livery, but it wears functional carbon fiber ducted speedster humps that deliver cooling air to the ride’s radiator and Whipple heat exchanger mounted out back. Only the front and rear bumper covers are not made of carbon fiber.
You can expect to see this ride out at drifting and other automotive events, and don’t be surprised to see T-Pain behind the wheel getting it slideways. He not only spits verses, but he can slay tires too.
