The
is a world-class muscle car, judging by its ability to lap the roughly 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 6 minutes and 57.685 seconds. This is the quickest time ever for an American production car. The Blue Oval is quite proud of the significant achievement because it can tout the GTD being as capable around the famous track as some of Europe’s best performance machines.
The Mustang GTD is just the sixth stock production vehicle to complete an officially certified lap around the ‘Ring in less than seven minutes. A better time might even be possible.
“We’re proud to be the first American automaker with a car that can lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, but we aren’t satisfied,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. “We know there’s much more time to find with Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.”
Let Dirk Müller Describe His Record-Setting Lap In The GTD
Ford tapped veteran racer Dirk Müller to drive the Mustang GTD around the ‘Ring. His career includes a first-in-class finish piloting the
at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. In a newly released video, he narrates over his lap around the Nordschleife to give audiences an idea of what’s going through someone’s head when making a record attempt.
The video highlights the challenges of driving on the Nordschleife. Early in the video, Müller discusses how the track’s bumps make it tough to put the car in the right place through a corner. There are also points where the track’s undulations mean he can’t see the road ahead, and a person just needs to know what’s coming next.
In the original video without commentary, Müller makes going around the Nordschleife look easy. The new clip reveals how hard he’s working the gas, brakes, and steering to place the car on the ideal line for a record-setting time.
What To Know About The Mustang GTD
The GTD is the most powerful production
ever to come from Ford. Its supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 pumps out 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The rear transaxle houses an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The company claims the car can reach 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 202 miles per hour.
In addition to the ample power, the GTD has high-tech aerodynamics with active flaps at the front and an optional rear wing with a drag reduction system. The Adaptive Variable Suspension system dampers can adjust their stiffness depending on the road conditions. Braking comes courtesy of Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes,
The Mustang GTD starts at around $325,000 before options. Ford plans to produce them in limited numbers for the 2025 and 2026 model years.
TopSpeed’s Take
Hearing what’s going through a professional driver’s head while pushing a car so hard is fascinating. The commentary makes a person appreciate Müller’s hard work achieving a sub-seven-minute lap time around the Nürburgring.
Read the full article here