Automotive
The Ford Mustang GTD has done the unthinkable: lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a blistering 6:57.685, it now stands because the fastest American production automotive to ever tackle the Green Hell. Not only did the GTD smash Dodge Viper ACR’s 2017 record of seven:01.30, nevertheless it also entered rarified air because the fifth-fastest production automotive ever to hit the legendary German track. For Ford and its partners at Multimatic Motorsports, this moment represents greater than only a performance milestone—it’s a declaration of intent.
A Pony Automotive’s Global Ambition
Since its inception, the Mustang GTD program has been laser-focused on achieving one goal: breaking the seven-minute barrier on the Nürburgring. For Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, and Greg Goodall, this system’s chief engineer, anything slower simply wasn’t acceptable. “There have been no excuses — 7:01 was not going to chop it,” Goodall explained.
The GTD is unlike any Mustang we’ve seen before. It’s a street-legal supercar that pulls heavily from Ford’s global racing pedigree. As Goodall put it, “We race Mustang globally. Almost every weekend there’s a Mustang racing somewhere on the earth. The want was to take the entire goodness from racing and make it right into a street-legal monster that may compete with the entire European supercars.” The Nürburgring served as the last word proving ground, not simply because it’s revered by enthusiasts worldwide, but in addition since it’s in the guts of Europe, the house turf of Ford’s fiercest rivals.
From Concept to Record-Setter
Development of the GTD began three years ago, and its Nürburgring lap time was no accident. Ford and Multimatic Motorsports worked tirelessly to create a automotive that might translate racing prowess into street-legal dominance. Powered by a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, paired with advanced aerodynamics and an adaptive suspension setup, the GTD is as much a track weapon because it is a road automotive. Its concentrate on achieving Nürburgring supremacy meant every decision within the design process revolved around outright performance.
Testing began in earnest in the course of the summer of 2023, with the GTD turning heads during industry pool days on the Nürburgring. While the months of June and July offered vital time for fine-tuning, Ford faced challenges as the autumn rains limited their window for timed laps. Actually, the record-breaking session itself was run on a less-than-perfect track surface, further highlighting the automotive’s potential to go even faster. Out of just three official timed attempts, all three broke the seven-minute mark—a testament to the GTD’s engineering excellence.
A Latest Chapter for American Cars
The Mustang GTD’s record-setting lap isn’t nearly breaking records—it’s about shifting perceptions. Historically, American performance cars were seen as muscle-bound machines great in a straight line but out of their depth in comparison to European exotics on technical tracks. The GTD flips that narrative. It’s a thoroughbred able to trading blows with the likes of the Porsche 911 GT3, which currently holds a 6:55.2 Nürburgring lap.
Ford documented this journey in a brand new 13-minute film, The Road to the Ring. The documentary offers an inside have a look at the GTD’s development and the monumental effort it took to show a Mustang—a automotive originally dubbed a “secretary’s automotive”—right into a Nürburgring-slaying supercar.
Ford Isn’t Finished
While breaking the seven-minute mark is an incredible achievement, Ford’s not resting on its laurels. Goodall and his team are already eyeing faster lap times in the longer term. “The very first lap that we ran, we hit the goal,” Goodall said. “Pretty impressive, but man, the team continues to be hungry. It’s greater than just meeting a metric. This became personal. The team desires to do more.”
Even Jim Farley confirmed Ford’s ongoing commitment to pushing the Mustang GTD to its limits. “We’re proud to be the primary American automaker with a automotive that may lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, but we aren’t satisfied,” Farley said. “We all know there’s way more time to seek out with Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.”
Ford’s achievement with the GTD sets a brand new benchmark for American automakers, however the competition isn’t sitting still. Chevrolet is preparing to unleash its recent Corvette ZR1, which could challenge the GTD’s Nürburgring supremacy. No matter who takes the crown, it’s an exciting time for American performance enthusiasts. With the Mustang GTD proving that an American automotive can rival one of the best from Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren, the worldwide sports automotive landscape may never be the identical.
Ford’s Mustang GTD has redefined what the horse automotive will be. Not just an icon of Americana, it’s now a real contender on the world stage—a automotive capable of creating even European purists take notice. For now, it’s the king of American production cars on the Nürburgring. But when the team at Ford Performance has anything to say about it, that is just the start.
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This Article First Appeared At www.automotiveaddicts.com
