Back in July, Ford announced that its fastest-ever production Mustang broke the seven-minute mark on the Nordschleife of Germany’s Nürburgring. The achievement took 6:57.68, which put the Mustang GTD Spirit of America in the top-ten of any production car to take on the 20-kilometer circuit. Now comes word that the 815-horsepower GTD has just broken that previous record, and we have the footage to prove it.
What Is A Ford Mustang GTD?
Basically, it’s a street-legal race car. The Mustang GTD is based on the GT3 race car, and as such it’s a fully carbon-bodied machine that adds elements like DOT head- and taillamps and other niceties. Otherwise, just consider it a race car, having about as much in common with a $35,000 Mustang you can rent from Hertz as that car has in common with anything used by NASCAR. In other words, zilch.
By The Numbers
You can read the stats here, but what that sheet doesn’t include is the fact that the car gets a moveable rear wing, a la F1’s DRS systems. This is to eliminate drag on acceleration and increase it for braking. A car with a 202-MPH top speed needs help slowing down, and even with massive, six-piston Brembos slowing 325 mm front and 345 mm rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, that’s not the same thing as the necessary added downforce. Hence, the entire skin of this car is ducted and draped and extended, both for the release of air and to channel it to increase downward suction.
Ford Mustang GTD Specifications
| Engine | Supercharged 5.2-Liter V-8 |
| Horsepower | 816 HP |
| Torque | 664 Lb.-Ft. |
| Transmission | 8-Speed Dual-Clutch Transaxle |
| Oiling System | Dry-Sump |
| Front Suspension | ASV Dampers w/ Unequal-Length Control Arms |
| Rear Suspension | Multilink Push-Rod w/ Inboard-Mounted ASV Dampers and Coil Springs |
| Brakes | 6-Piston Brembo w/ Carbon-Ceramic Rotors |
A Cabin Made For One Thing: Going Faster
About the only thing that’s semi-normal about the Mustang GTD is that it gets race-ready Recaro front seats and a non-removable steering wheel, which we assume has an airbag on the production car. We are betting the model they’re using on the track has a full roll cage and fire suppression, among other necessities. There’s no second row seating, but the car actually does come with Ford’s Sync touchscreen display. Carbon fiber is used extensively throughout the cabin, and even the paddle shifters are made of titanium for added lightweighting.
And The Number Is?
We don’t actually know what the new record is. According to our source, Ford’s broken its old mark of 6:57.68, but we don’t know what the new standard is. We can say this: We don’t think Ford will have set the new Nordschleife record, breaking the AMG One time of 6:29.09 seconds. That car costs north of $2.7 million. The GTD is a massive bargain at $325,000. Do you want to spend an extra $2,375,000 for 28 seconds of speed?
By the way, if you want to see last summer’s run on the ‘Ring, that’s here:
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