Ford Mustang GTD Claims Nürburgring Record as Fastest American Car
Record-Breaking Achievement
Ford has set a new record at the Nürburgring, solidifying the Mustang GTD as the fastest North American production car. The car completed the famed 12.9-mile Nordschleife loop in a remarkable time of 6 minutes, 57.685 seconds, surpassing the Dodge Viper ACR by 4.3 seconds. This achievement also makes the Mustang GTD one of only six production sports cars worldwide to break the seven-minute barrier.
Providing insight into the rigorous development process, the Mustang GTD was piloted by Multimatic Motorsports driver Dirk Muller. Ford had been keeping this feat under wraps since it occurred on August 7. A compelling documentary explores the challenges faced during the quest to achieve a sub-seven-minute lap time at the Nordschleife.
Challenging the Competition
The Mustang GTD has outperformed formidable competitors such as the Lamborghini Aventador SuperVeloce, Ferrari 296 GTB, and Porsche 918 Spyder. However, Ford still has some distance to go before claiming the title of fastest front-engined production car. Currently, that honor belongs to the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, which set a lap time of 6 minutes, 43.61 seconds in 2020. The overall Nürburgring record for production cars is held by the Mercedes-AMG One at an impressive 6 minutes, 29.09 seconds.
Future Aspirations
While the Mustang GTD has achieved an incredible milestone, Ford CEO Jim Farley believes there is even more potential for the car. He has announced plans for additional laps in 2025, aiming to further enhance its performance. Farley expressed pride in the Mustang GTD and its ability to compete with the finest supercars in the world, but acknowledged that there is still more to discover.
