Mustang GTD is the fastest American car in the world

Last August, Ford told Its upcoming GT3-derived Mustang GTD has set a sub-7-minute lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. After two years of hard work, Ford achieved its goal. The Mustang GTD recently became the fastest American car ever driven, covering 20.8 kilometers (12.9 miles), 73 turns and 300 meters (984 feet) of elevation change (also known as the “Green Hell”).

The folks at Ford Performance and Multimatic Canada started with the basics. They reduced weight by using a GTD carbon fiber body. A hydraulic drag-reduction system opens flaps under the body and adjusts the angle of the C-pillar-mounted rear fenders to take advantage of the air flowing over the lightweight exterior. Ford Performance combines reduced weight with increased output: a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 with 815 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, and a track-specific dry sump oiling system.

That kind of power means nothing without the right driver, so Ford turned to Multimatic Motorsports’ Dirk Müller, who’s familiar with the Nürburgring from driving both real cars and simulators . The rest is left to fate. Different sections of the Nürburgring Nordschleife can be bathed in sunshine and rain at the same time. When Ford started hitting target lap times, conditions weren’t ideal, but it tried anyway.

Muller drove “by feel” and set the time at 6:57.685. Not only is Ford the first and only American manufacturer to achieve such a low score, but the Mustang GTD is the fifth-fastest production sports car and the sixth vehicle in its class to complete a lap in under seven minutes. According to the circuit’s official website, this last difference puts the GTD on the same level as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.

So what do Ford and Multimatic’s fast teams plan to do after making history? Return to the Nürburgring and put in a faster lap. As Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said: “We know there’s more time to explore with the Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.”