Ford got a lot of enthusiasts worked up a couple weeks ago when it dropped a teaser video on YouTube about the Mustang GTD’s Nurburgring track time. It hints at greatness, but here we are still wondering what that time actually is.
Watch a state trooper actually PIT a fleeing motorcycle.
We understand building suspense, and Ford might suddenly release the ‘Ring time today for all we know, but all this waiting better mean the time is truly record breaking. After all, most automakers just quietly do a run on the Green Hell, then later announce it without this teasing nonsense.
In the teaser video there’s one hint at what’s to come as a Ford Performance employee notes “no North American manufacturer… has done a sub-seven-minute lap yet.” Another one says the GTD was designed to “beat the Europeans on their turf.”
That sounds serious and Ford apparently is going to release a whole documentary on the Nurburgring effort with the GTD. But are European automakers quaking in their boots yet?
There’s no doubt this is the baddest production Mustang ever with 815-horsepower, 664 lb.-ft. of torque, and a top speed of 202 mph. The pony car features advanced aero, carbon-ceramic brakes, even an inboard-rear suspension with semi-active dampers. All of that will be necessary to stick the famously difficult turns on the Nurburgring at the highest speeds possible.
But all that performance comes at a steep price. $325,000 is the rumored base for the Ford Mustang GTD. If that sounds like an insane amount of money for a Mustang, even one as impressive as this, you’re not alone. But with a production run capped at 1,000 units we expect Ford will have no problem selling them all rapidly.
Just remember, the Porsche 911 GT3 is a competitor to the Mustang GTD and it starts at $222,500 with the Touring Package. Sure, it only packs 502-hp but the thing is a technological wonder with a 3.7 second 0-60 time and razor-sharp handling. In 2022, one made it around the ‘Ring in 6:49.328 minutes. Can the Mustang GTD best that time? Sometime in the future we’ll find out.
Image via Ford
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