By Joe Bellino

After becoming the first car from an American brand to break the 7-minute barrier at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Mustang GTD shattered its own record with a new 6:40.835 lap time.

With this achievement, Ford now claims the two fastest Nürburgring lap times of any American brand, including the Ford GT Mk IV.

Driven once again by Ford Racing and Multimatic factory driver Dirk Müller, the Mustang GTD Competition secured the sixth fastest time on the Nürburgring Pre-Production / Prototype Class leaderboard.

Proving just how capable the Mustang GTD Competition is, Ford Racing engineer Steve Thompson also piloted the GTD Competition to a time of 6:49.337 around the Nürburgring – faster than Müller’s original record. Thompson has modest driving experience at the "Green Hell," having cumulatively driven the Nürburgring fewer than 40 laps.

To shave more than 11 seconds off Mustang GTD’s benchmark, the team relentlessly focused on four key areas:

• More Power: Hardware updates and aggressive tuning push Mustang GTD Competition’s supercharged 5.2-liter V8 to a targeted engine output beyond the original Mustang GTD’s 815 horsepower
   
• Advanced Aerodynamics: Building on the existing Drag Reduction System (DRS), the Mustang GTD Competition adds rear wing modifications, secondary front dive planes, and rear carbon fiber aero discs to increase total downforce without sacrificing efficiency or aero balance
   
• Increased Grip: New high-performance tires
   
• Weight Reduction: New magnesium wheels, new carbon bucket seats, lighter damper system and additional actions help reduce weight

Mustang GTD Applications Reopening

Recognizing the exclusivity of this achievement, the GTD Competition will only be offered in the future as a special edition, street legal model available in strictly limited, serialized quantities.

To celebrate this historic feat and the 62nd birthday of the Mustang, Ford is reopening the application window today for North American customers who want an opportunity to buy the most advanced and powerful street-legal Mustang ever assembled.

Joe Bellino is Mustang GTD brand manager.

Story provided by Ford