Ford Hypes Up Mustang GTD Nurburgring Time Before December 10 Reveal

Ford has always been clear about its intentions to take the limited-run Mustang GTD to the Nurburgring to set a flying lap. The GTD is a Mustang unlike any other, and if Ford wants to convince the world that it’s a legitimate rival to the best Europe has to offer, it needs a ‘Ring time’ to prove it. Soon, we’ll know what that time was.

The Mustang GTD was spotted roaring around the famous German circuit on numerous occasions, dating back to as early as May this year, and on December 10, its lap time will be revealed. The announcement will coincide with a short documentary dubbed Ford Mustang GTD: Road to the Ring, detailing Ford’s efforts to break the 7-minute barrier.

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No American-made car has ever lapped Green Hell in less than 7 minutes. The current US record is held by a 2017 SRT Viper ACR and sits at 7:01.30. That time was set by a private team and not the manufacturer itself. Ford employees featured in this trailer repeatedly say a sub-7-minute lap time was the goal, so anything short of that come December 10 will be a disappointment.

Just how quickly can the Mustang GTD go? If it dips below the 7-minute mark, it could rival the Ferrari 296 GTB that set a lap time of 6:58.70 in mid-last year. If it goes quicker than that, it could join elite company like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. However, matching the GT Black Series’ benchmark of 6:43.616 and the GT3 RS’s best time of 6:44.848 will be a very tough ask.

In terms of power, the GTD certainly has the goods as its 5.2-liter supercharged V8 churns out 825 hp, significantly more than the Porsche and the AMG. It also has an extreme aero package and a trick suspension, that should help it immensely in achieving its sub-7 minute target. However, it likely weighs more than both German rivals, although Ford has yet to release an official figure for it.