The Ford Mustang GTD could be the first American car to challenge Porsche’s reign at the Nürburgring, with Detroit’s racer in road-legal disguise reportedly warming up for a crack at the 911.
Spy photographers such as Wilco Blok on Instagram have captured the Ford Mustang GTD testing at the 20.8km Nürburgring Nordschleife course, finished in all black – and with extra mufflers to mute the bark from its supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine.
Multiple sources have suggested a sub-7:00.0 lap time is well within the bounds of reality, even going as far to suggest it could get into the territory of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS which set a blinding lap of 6:44.848 seconds in 2022.
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While there are faster production cars around the circuit – such as the record-holding, F1-engined Mercedes-AMG One – Porsche’s naturally aspirated supercar is arguably the benchmark, given both are closely inspired by GT3-spec racers.
We may have to wait a while to see (and hear) the full results of the Mustang GTD’s trip to Germany, as Ford is currently planning a European tour for its supercar killer.
Its debut on the continent will take place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month, where the new Mustang GT3 will also be competing in the twice-around-the-clock event. It’ll then head to the 24 Hours of Spa, and later the Nürburgring.
Order books for the Ford Mustang GTD closed in the US this week, with more than 7500 customers putting their name down for the circa-US$325,000 (A$490,000) racing-inspired pony car.
Not all of them may get the chance to own one, as production of the GTD will only take place for the 2025 and 2026 model years in limited volumes, exclusively in left-hand drive – ruling out any possibility of seeing one on local roads.
As previously reported, the GTD is not a normal Mustang, sharing little in common with its namesake.
Under the bonnet is a 600kW supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine, which drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle.
The double-wishbone front suspension and pushrod rear suspension incorporate Adaptive Spool Valve shock absorbers and coil-over springs, helping keep control of the Mustang GTD in tandem with 20-inch wheels (shod in Michelin Cup 2 tyres) and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.
There’s also a significant amount of carbon fibre in its aerodynamic exterior design, reducing weight in a bid to put a stop to American muscle cars being a punchline for poor handling.
And just in case you’re wondering, the name isn’t inspired by the Volkswagen Golf GTD. Instead, it’s a nod to the GT Daytona class the Mustang GT3 competes in throughout the US IMSA endurance racing series.
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