It was already the fastest American rig around the ring. Now, it’s dominating the rest of the world, too.
You might have missed it, but back in December, Ford claimed its radical new Mustang GTD lapped the Nürburgring quicker than any other car from an American brand. Ripping through the 12.9-mile track in just 6:57.685 meant the Mustang GTD beat out cars like the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS, Ferrari 296 GTB, and even the ridiculous Rimac Nevera. But it wasn’t good enough. Quoting Jim Farley, Ford CEO, “We aren’t satisfied. We know there’s much more time to find with Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.” The company followed through and, as it turns out, Farley was right.
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A new lap time of 6:52.072 marks significant improvement, and it’s the result of hard work and a little luck
Farley’s crown jewel lapped the ‘Ring around five seconds faster than it did last time. But it only claims one more meaningful notch in its belt. The Stang completed its lap quicker than the first 992.1 GT3 RS Porsche ran, a car that notably ran the same exact tires as Ford did. A second run — with a Weissach Package car, OEM radio delete, and a bucket driver’s seat — was quicker than the GTD. Regardless, it shows that Ford really has what it takes to compete with Porsche — at least, the dynamics arena.
Shaving nearly six seconds off a lap time is no easy feat. Ford got unlucky with its first attempt, which, while announced in December, actually took place in August. While a challenging course technically, the Nürburgring is also famously tough for its unpredictable weather; race days have seen sun, hail, pounding rain, and everything in between. Ford’s August 2024 run was damp and a bit warmer than anticipated; not the case with the car’s more recent pass. Furthermore, Ford came prepared. Adjustments were made to the car’s drag reduction system, suspension, powertrain, traction control, ABS, and more in order to make it the best tool for the job. Like the first attempt, factory driver Dirk Müller sat in the driver’s seat.
Ford
‘Ring times aren’t everything; in fact, they’re largely unregulated and marred with controversy
So, the Mustang GTD is five seconds quicker around a race track most Americans haven’t heard of and even fewer could find on a map. To wit, I’ve had coworkers in my former life at a BMW dealership — an “enthusiast” — who thought the track was in Nuremberg. So, does it really matter? Well, yes and no. The Green Hell is certainly a good stress test for a car, and bad sports cars will not post good times relative to their peers. More importantly, probably, is bragging rights. But we won’t dissect the virtues of bench racing here.
An interesting and important reminder: there is no governing body surrounding “Nürburgring lap times.” Automakers or third parties simply show up and clock their car. All records are “unofficial,” because, well, there are no officials. With no governing body, it’s perhaps no surprise that plenty of OEMs toe the line. Nissan cracked the production car record in 2013 with the GT-R, only for engineers to later admit the car was heavily modified. A Civic Type-R donned race tires you can’t get from the factory. Almost all records see cars with roll bars and harnesses, increasing rigidity and at least slightly trimming lap times.
Final thoughts
No matter how you feel about Nürburgring lap times or their relevance, you’ve got to admit: that’s one fast Mustang. Ford seem to be making sure that the Mustang GTD will be worth every red cent of its $300,000 or more price tag — including coming standard with top bragging rights. It’s also a good indicator of how truly dedicated Ford CEO Farley is to the company’s supercar program. Hopefully, that’s a sign of more fast cars to come.