The Ford team says that it’s gunning for a new Nurburgring lap record under seven minutes later this year
- U.S. applications are now closed for the first two years of Mustang GTD production
- The European pre-order window is about to open as the car goes to debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
- The team says it’s chasing the Nurburgring lap record later this year too
In just 37 days, over 7,500 people in the United States and Canada applied to buy the $325,000-plus Mustang GTD, Ford reports. That’s at least five times more interest than the automaker’s planned production for the car, not accounting for other markets, according to the Blue Oval.
As the brand gets ready to open the order books in Europe and Mexico, it says it’s planning to go after the lap record at the Green Hell after debuting at Le Mans.
Read: Ford Considers Four-Door Mustang And Hybrid Options, Rejects Muscle EV
That’s a lot of news in a small package, but it’s fitting for a car that aims to deliver more performance than any pony car in history. The Mustang GTD will debut in June at Le Mans before it goes onto the 24 Hours of Spa and the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Then, it’ll try to become the fastest American production car at the Nurburgring ever.
“We’ve tested the Mustang GTD in North America extensively, including laps at Sebring International Raceway and Virginia International Raceway,” said Greg Goodall, chief program engineer for the Mustang GTD. “This has all been in service of engineering a car that can lap the Nurburgring in under seven minutes. Moving onto European roads and dedicated test sessions at the Nürburgring is the next step, ahead of a timed run later this year.”
Throughout the year, Ford says that it’ll showcase a series of videos about the Mustang GTD. They’ll highlight the components and engineering that contribute to the vehicle. It’s still unclear just what the final spec sheet will look like, but Ford is openly targeting over 800 horsepower (596 kW). That explains in part, why so many folks are willing to apply for it.
“With Mustang GTD, we set out to build a road-going race car with the heart of a Mustang and the will to beat Europe’s best. Since opening applications to North American consumers, we’ve seen customers respond to that motivation,” said Mustang GTD Brand Manager Jim Owens. “Whether they own a rival’s sports car or have another Mustang in the stable, the Mustang GTD’s race-derived performance is registering.”
Applications for potential owners in Europe and Mexico open later this year. Ford plans to only make between 300 and 700 cars in each of the next two years, for a total of between 600 and 1,400 Mustang GTDs. That’ll mean a lot of denied forms between now and then.
