Ford Mustang GTD Shatters Nürburgring Record with Sub-Seven Minute Lap
Germany's prestigious Nürburgring Nordschleife often called the benchmark for sports car development, has witnessed a groundbreaking achievement by the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD. This vehicle is the first American manufacturer to complete a lap in under seven minutes.
Dirk Müller, a driver for Multimatic Motorsports, piloted the 815-horsepower Mustang GTD around the circuit, famously dubbed "The Green Hell," clocking an officially certified time of 6:57:685. This impressive lap time ranks fifth fastest for a stock production sports car on the Nürburgring’s official leaderboard, making the Mustang GTD the sixth vehicle in its category to conquer the seven-minute threshold.
The achievement fulfils the ambitious target Ford's CEO, Jim Farley, set during the Mustang GTD's launch in August 2023. "Our team has applied decades of racetrack experience to create a Mustang capable of competing with the top supercars globally," commented Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford. "Achieving a lap under seven minutes at the Nürburgring is a proud moment for us, yet we see the potential for even better performance and are determined to improve."
The success of the Mustang GTD at Nürburgring stems from the relentless efforts of a committed team of engineers and designers. Over two years, they transformed the Mustang GT3 race car into the premier Mustang supercar. Their journey is captured in 'The Road To The Ring,' a 13-minute documentary that showcases the challenges and triumphs of reading the Mustang GTD for its timed lap. The documentary is available on Ford’s website and its YouTube and Facebook platforms.
The documentary offers an exclusive glimpse into the Mustang GTD's rigorous testing regime, which included sessions at iconic American tracks and the Nürburgring itself. It features insights from key figures such as Farley, Müller, Multimatic’s Chief Technical Officer Larry Holt, Mustang GTD’s Chief Program Engineer Greg Goodall, and Design Manager Anthony Colard.
The Mustang GTD exemplifies the pinnacle of Mustang performance, drawing on valuable insights gained from the Ford Performance Motorsports and Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 program, particularly in aerodynamics and track setup. Unlike GT3 racing, the Mustang GTD is not bound by specific regulations,includingf advanced technologies like carbon-ceramic brakes, active aerodynamics, a supercharger, and semi-active suspension. Although it was entirely stock during its record lap, the car did feature motorsport-specific safety enhancements, such as a competition seat with a five-point harness and a roll cage, as required by the Nürburgring.
