Episode Details

The Ford Mustang GTD has just rewritten the record books at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A lighter, more powerful, more aerodynamic GTD Competition variant has reset the benchmark with a time of 6:40.835 around the Green Hell, beating the GTD's previous time by 11 seconds and the Corvette ZR1X's time (6:49.275) by over eight seconds to become the fastest American car at the circuit, the second fastest production car ever to run the course—behind only the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar (6:29.090)—and the sixth fastest for the Nürburgring Pre-Production/Prototype Class. You can watch an on-board video of the record at the bottom of this article.

The news confirms a rumor from last month and is particularly impressive since the AMG ONE is a hypercar produced in collaboration with a Formula One team, and the ZR1X is an all-wheel-drive hypercar with 1,250 horsepower. So how did Ford do it, and can the Corvette team snatch it back again?

Mustang GTD Competition Gets Lighter, Slipperier, and More Powerful

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

The 5.2-liter supercharged V8 under the GTD Competition's hood has been enhanced with both hardware updates and more aggressive tuning to deliver more than the original GTD's 815 hp, says Ford, though an exact figure was not revealed. As the likes of Hennessey have shown, the 5.2-liter supercharged Predator engine is capable of four-figure output, but we'll have to wait to find out just how far Ford pushed the limits. The GTD team worked on the aerodynamics, too, with a modified rear wing, secondary front dive planes, and carbon fiber aero discs on the rear wheels (like on a Porsche 911 GT3 RS Manthey Racing), enhancing downforce while minimizing drag. There's also new rubber on the wheels, which have lost weight and are made of magnesium, and the damper system is lighter, too. Inside, new carbon bucket seats further strip weight, among other undisclosed upgrades.

While Ford is keeping its cards close to its chest, it does say the GTD Competition remains street-legal, and it'll be offered to the public. Speaking of, Ford today reopens the application window for North American customers who want a chance to buy the GTD. So, can Chevy fight back and reclaim its title? Probably.

Chevy Has to M