- The Ford Mustang GTD Competition is now the fastest street-legal American car at the Nürburgring.
- It achieved a lap time of 6:40.835, surpassing the ZR1X by over 8 seconds.
- This Competition variant enhances the standard Mustang GTD’s lap time by 11 seconds due to its lighter and more powerful build.
The Mustang GTD first claimed the title of the fastest American production car at the Nürburgring in 2024, completing the circuit in 6 minutes and 57.685 seconds. This feat allowed it to outpace the Dodge Viper ACR by 4.3 seconds, marking the first time an American car finished a sub-seven-minute lap. Not satisfied with this time, Ford returned the following year to improve its record by over five seconds, ultimately finishing with a time of 6 minutes and 52.072 seconds.
However, shortly after Ford’s achievement, Chevrolet entered the fray with the ZR1 and ZR1X, both setting quicker times than the Mustang. The Corvette ZR1 completed the lap in 6 minutes and 50.763 seconds, while the ZR1X managed to do it in 6 minutes and 49.275 seconds. Following this, Ford’s CEO Jim Farley declared a desire for revenge, indicating that competition was just heating up.
By 2026, Ford has regained its title as the fastest American car at the Nürburgring with a remarkable lap time of 6 minutes and 40.835 seconds. This new record is not only 11 seconds faster than the Mustang GTD’s previous best but also beats the Corvette ZR1X by over eight seconds. It’s important to note that this historic lap was achieved with a heavily modified version of the Mustang GTD.
Known as the Mustang GTD Competition, this enhanced version features an advanced supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine, producing more power than the standard model’s 815-hp. To further enhance performance, Ford has incorporated magnesium wheels, lightweight carbon bucket seats, and improved dampers, reducing the car’s overall weight (a standard Mustang GTD weighs 4,404 pounds). Additionally, the Competition variant has seen several aerodynamic upgrades, including a newly designed rear wing and enhanced front dive planes and rear carbon-fiber aero discs for increased downforce.
The record-setting vehicle was once again driven by Dirk Müller, a professional driver from Ford Performance and Multimatic. A limited production version equipped with the aforementioned upgrades will soon be available, though specifics about the pricing have yet to be revealed. It’s reasonable to expect that it will be priced higher than the standard Mustang GTD, which currently starts at $327,960.
In a parallel achievement, Ford also retains the record for the fastest track-only American car at the Nürburgring, with the GT Mk IV completing the lap in 6 minutes and 15.977 seconds. This also positions the GT Mk IV as the fastest vehicle powered exclusively by a combustion engine around the iconic track, falling just behind the Volkswagen ID. R and the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo.
