Last Summer, Ford shocked much of the automotive world when it lapped a Mustang GTD across the Nürburgring Nordschleife in only 6:57:685. Well, apparently, that wasn’t quite enough for the Blue Oval, so it decided to go back to Germany to lap the automobile again after tinkering with it. Due to its work with engineering partner Multimatic, Ford’s beast of a Mustang just clocked a 6:52.072 lap time with Dirk Müller (the identical driver as the primary run) behind the wheel.
Knocking 5.5 seconds off a Nürburgring lap time isn’t any sure bet, and that is why Ford and Multimatic made the next changes to the Mustang GTD to squeeze just a bit more out of this supercharged 5.2-liter V8 monster. It apparently took among the lessons it learned after winning the Rolex 24 in Daytona. Here’s what they modified, in line with a Ford blog post:
Revised chassis tuning with increased torsional rigidity
Updated suspension hardware and alignment for much more precise, predictable handling
Aerodynamic tweaks for improved downforce
Powertrain calibration updates
Revised ABS and traction control behavior
Latest Energetic Spool Valve development
A dose of freedom
Ford now owns, by our estimate, the ninth-fasted Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time for a production automobile, falling only a smidge behind the 6:52:01 lap time set by the Lamborghini Huracán Performante LP640-4. Still, that is nothing to sneeze at — especially for something that started off as a humble Mustang.
After all, the GTD is anything but a daily Mustang at this point. Limited to only 1,000 units, the GTD comes with all types of suspension, chassis, and aero upgrades — together with an almost 50/50 weight distribution. It is also powered by a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 that puts out a Ford-estimated 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Oh, and it will cost the lucky few who can afford one about $325,000. So no, it is not exactly a standard Mustang, but there’s still a number of “America, hell yeah!” on this thing.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
