The Ford Mustang GTD Is Back at the Nürburgring

Ford has returned to the Nordschleife where it made history last year. On August 7, 2024, the Mustang GTD broke the record for the fastest American production car around the Green Hell after crossing the finish line in 6 minutes and 57.6 seconds. When the Blue Oval announced the lap time in December, CEO Jim Farley promised the ultimate ‘Stang would return to the ‘Ring in 2025 to improve the already blistering performance.

Now, America’s first car to lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes has been spied in full attack mode. Although it’s blisteringly quick, it’s hard to imagine the Mustang GTD going after the overall production road car record. The Mercedes-AMG One currently holds that title with a lap time of 6 minutes and 29 seconds. While the Nürburgring’s 12.92-mile (20.83-kilometer) lengthy layout leaves some wiggle room for improvement, it seems highly unlikely that Ford could shave off nearly 29 seconds.

A more realistic goal would be to target the Porsche 911 GT3’s 6:55. Going after the 911 GT3 RS (6:49) or the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (6:43) seems overly ambitious, but maybe Ford can prove us wrong. With an eye-watering starting price of $325,000, the Mustang GTD better go after those high-end performance cars, considering a 911 GT3 RS starts at “only” $241,300. The fastest and most powerful production Mustang ever costs the same as the defunct Black Series did when it came out five years ago.

Lap times and pricing details aside, the GTD sounds absolutely evil in the best possible way. The supercharger whine from the 5.2-liter V-8 is impossible to ignore. The bespoke engine delivers a meaty 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet (900 Newton-meters) of torque. It maxes out at 202 mph (325 km/h), making it the second-fastest Ford in history after the GT supercar.

Then there’s the design. It’s almost odd to see a license plate on something that looks like it belongs strictly on a race track. In fact, Ford has admitted the Mustang GTD might not even be street-legal in certain European markets. The wildest pony will be a rare sight, with only 300 to 700 units slated for production annually. Buyers looking to make a quick profit should know they won’t be allowed to flip their cars during the first two years of ownership.