Ford Mustang GTD Shatters Its Own Nurburgring Lap Record by 5.5 Seconds
Ford
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Last August, the Ford Mustang GTD made headlines at the Nürburgring Nordschleife when professional driver Dirk Müller achieved a sub-seven-minute lap time (specifically 06:57:685) in one of these vehicles. Not quite satisfied, Ford and engineering partner Multimatic continued to refine the car, resulting in a new record lap time of 6:52.072, again with Müller driving.
Ford outlined the modifications made to the car since the 6:57 lap in a blog post:
- Enhanced chassis tuning for greater torsional rigidity
- Improved suspension components and alignment for better handling precision and predictability
- Aerodynamic improvements for increased downforce
- Updates to powertrain calibration
- Modifications to ABS and traction control functionality
- Development of a new Active Spool Valve
Additionally, the test driver's growing familiarity with the vehicle is likely a contributing factor, though difficult to quantify. When Ford first tested the GTD at the Green Hell last October, conditions were reported as less than optimal for a rapid lap. This time, the weather may have been more favorable, which certainly helps.
For context, the new lap time of 6:52.072 makes the Mustang GTD slightly quicker around the Nürburgring than the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and a bit slower than the Lamborghini Huracán Performante. The current record holder for production cars at the ‘Ring remains the Mercedes-AMG One, which clocked in at 6:29:090 last September, but one might question whether it truly qualifies as a production car—technically it does, but they are quite rare.
The Ford Mustang GTD is expected to begin production (limited to just 1,000 units) in the spring. It is marketed as "street legal—barely," equipped with a complex suspension system, race-car aerodynamics, a nearly balanced 50/50 front/rear chassis, and a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 boasting a maximum output of 815 horsepower.
The starting price is around $325,000. It’s likely that the entire initial batch is already claimed, so if you’re interested in acquiring one, consider how to persuade a friend at Ford.
The Blue Oval shared a brief highlight reel about the new record (below), but you can get a fuller experience of the GTD ‘Ring adventure through the ride-along video from the 6:57 lap (above).
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