Ford Mustang GTD Competition Shatters Nürburgring Nordschleife Lap Record

Ford has unveiled a more aggressive Mustang GTD Competition variant, which lapped Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6 minutes and 40.835 seconds—over 11 seconds faster than its previous record. The lap time was set by Ford Performance and Multimatic factory driver Dirk Müller, with engineer Steve Thompson involved in the testing. After fewer than 40 shakedown laps, the team had already achieved an initial time of 6:49.337. This performance leap stems from multiple enhancements: the supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine received hardware upgrades and more aggressive tuning, pushing output beyond the standard GTD’s 815 horsepower. Aerodynamic improvements include new front dive planes, a rear carbon-fiber diffuser, and an optimized rear wing, all working in concert with a DRS system to increase downforce and efficiency. Additional weight-saving measures include lighter magnesium alloy wheels, high-performance tires, carbon-fiber bucket seats, and lightweight dampers—all aimed at improving the power-to-weight ratio. With its 6:40.835 lap time, the Mustang GTD now ranks sixth in the Nürburgring’s official “Pre-Production Prototype” category, behind the Volkswagen ID.R, Ford GT MkIV, Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype, Lotus Evija X, and McMurtry Spéirling. It also outperforms the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X (6:49.275) and the Manthey-equipped Porsche 911 GT3 RS (6:45.389). Ford emphasized that the Mustang GTD Competition is not solely intended for track use. A limited-production, road-legal version with individual numbering will follow, though production volumes will be extremely low—and most vehicles are expected to remain off the track. To celebrate the new lap record and the 62nd anniversary of the Mustang nameplate, Ford has reopened applications for the GTD model.