The fastest car from an American brand to lap the Nürburgring? Ford is claiming the title after its Mustang GTD, piloted by Multimatic Motorsports hotshoe Dirk Müller, set a lap time of 6:57.685.
Ford is also quick to point out that the GTD’s sub-7-second lap is, according to the Nürburgring’s official records, the fifth fastest lap set by a …
The Viper ACR also felt they had left time on the table, and used a much older V720 tire, vs the Cup 2 R that the GTD uses.
Man... $325k to go only 4 seconds faster than a $118k Viper ACR. Even inflation adjusted, the Viper ACR would be $150k today. For $300k, you could have gotten a Lamborghini performante, which ran 5 seconds quicker, and is... a Lamborghini, not a Mustang, ha.
In reply to Davidlu03 :
Why all the attitude? I'm no Mustang fanboi, but think that's a cool story.
Eh, I can see how my tone comes off that way. It just felt underwhelming when I've seen so many announcements about it, and then for 800+ Hp and a nurburging focus on PSC2R, that its not much (if at all) faster than cars from 7-8 years ago.
The amount of full-throttle acceleration that thing can deliver so early on corner exit—particularly complex corner exit—is really impressive. That's never been a Mustang strong suit, at least not any Mustang out of the factory.
The cost to achieve this is so out of touch with buyers, I doubt we'll ever see one on the street.
JG Pasterjak said:The amount of full-throttle acceleration that thing can deliver so early on corner exit—particularly complex corner exit—is really impressive. That's never been a Mustang strong suit, at least not any Mustang out of the factory.
Fingers crossed Ford will give us one to lap the FIRM with. (I'm only slightly delusional.)
In reply to Davidlu03 :
I don't think there's any way they couldn't knock 1-2 seconds off this run. It wasn't a flawless lap. And not perfect conditions. Wonder how long they rented the track for, and how many laps they'd previously run. Hell, they might get under .55. If Ford could stay there a month, rent the track as much as possible, they'd be on a more even keel with the euro's (as they have the track essentially in their back yard) fastest super cars. Not slighting any other cars, as I'm not a Mustang fanatic, but I do appreciate top shelf engineering in any car.
I can't help but think of what James May would have to say. 
kb58 said:The cost to achieve this is so out of touch with buyers, I doubt we'll ever see one on the street.
I see $300,000 Lamborghinis and Ferraris running around on the street every day and just about every stripe of Shelby Mustang ever made. If they sell these, somebody here will buy one.
Outside the 0.01% of the population who know what it is, people will think "nice body kit."
Yeah Ford's making 1000-ish examples and they're all already allocated for the most part. Similar deal to the last Ford GT. Purchase availability was by invitation or approved application only. Resale embargo for a couple years after purchase.
I do hope at least a few of them get beaten mercilessly on track where they belong, but the way these things normally go I think the most use most of them get will be at a nice weather cars & coffee or a "deep technical analysis" on some toolbag's YouTube channel where they just point at the wheels in their spotless and well-lit garage and say "they're just like a racecar's."
All that said, you have to remember Ford's goal in building Mustang GTDs is not to sell Mustang GTDs but to sell Mustang V6 convertibles on 9.2% Ford Financial financing.
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
I was just thinking to myself "Man it'd be cool if there was a thing like cars and coffee, but for driving on a race track."
A track day. You're thinking of a track day, Colin.
At any rate, I'm certain at least one of those 1000 examples will see some serious track duty.
I wonder how long it'll be before we see one compete in One Lap?
I'm guessing it just beats the 'mere' 500hp car times by beating them into submission on the sections where you can be 100% throttle for over 20 seconds.
JG Pasterjak said:All that said, you have to remember Ford's goal in building Mustang GTDs is not to sell Mustang GTDs but to sell Mustang V6 convertibles on 9.2% Ford Financial financing.
Do they still sell the V6? Mine is a turbo 4.
A 320 hp turbo 4 that was actually more horsepower than the 290 hp 351 Windsor engine in the 1969 Mustang I used to have. It has plenty of power.
JG Pasterjak said:I do hope at least a few of them get beaten mercilessly on track...
They will... Mostly by (300hp and $80k less) 911 GT3 RS's.
Driven5 said:JG Pasterjak said:I do hope at least a few of them get beaten mercilessly on track...
They will... Mostly by (300hp and $80k less) 911 GT3 RS's.
Ah yes, all those base model at MSRP GT3 RS sitting around on Porsche lots lol!
Up here in Canada (where the Mustang GTD is actually made thank you) that $325k USD is about $460k CAD, the GT3 RS optioned out sitting at Pfaff back in the fall had a sticker on it for right around $500k CAD so the pricing isn't all that far off (very easy to spend $80k on Porsche options). Of course with the Ford you need to factor in putting a good looking set of wheels on right away (like what comes on the Porsche).
I do hope to see these on track, I'm happy to say I've been lapped in a session by more than one current GT3 RS and I know more will show up in our (BMW) club next year.
In reply to adam525i :
As I would order an ultimate (track) GT3 RS, with only Weissach Package and ceramic brakes only, it would still end up $35k+ less than the Mustang GTD's base price. Both cars are sold out before production begins. While admittedly likely not as big of a price add, the Ford also still does require the Performance Pack beyond the $325k starting price at a minimum for the Nurburgring configuration, hopefully along with a few options to better differentiate the interior from a nearly $300k cheaper Mustang. However, that will all almost certainly pale in comparison to the 'collector' driven markups on a year-1 hyper-Mustang vs the Porsche that gets made in similar quantities year after year... Something that will inevitably hurt the percentage regularly getting driven in anger on track vs the GT3 RS too.
Don't forget that Porsche hasn't even put out an official time for the latest improvements to the GT3 RS formula either. While breaking sub-7:00 is a noteworthy accomplishment for any production car (and its daring driver), Ford's ultimate GT3 based Nurburgring lap time machine will better (IMO) justify not even being the budget pick vs the Porsche equivalent if and when they can at least catch up to the sub-6:50 factory time set by the previous GT3 RS.
Driven5 said:JG Pasterjak said:I do hope at least a few of them get beaten mercilessly on track...
They will... Mostly by (300hp and $80k less) 911 GT3 RS's.
And Spec Miatas...
In reply to racerfink :
?? I think a spec Miata would be lucky to approach the 8 minute lap time let alone breaking through the 7.
Davidlu03 said:The Viper ACR also felt they had left time on the table, and used a much older V720 tire, vs the Cup 2 R that the GTD uses.
Man... $325k to go only 4 seconds faster than a $118k Viper ACR. Even inflation adjusted, the Viper ACR would be $150k today. For $300k, you could have gotten a Lamborghini performante, which ran 5 seconds quicker, and is... a Lamborghini, not a Mustang, ha.
I drove a Huracan Evo on track a few months ago, outside of the sound.......pretty underwhelming compared to the Cayman GT4 RS.
dculberson said:In reply to racerfink :
?? I think a spec Miata would be lucky to approach the 8 minute lap time let alone breaking through the 7.
Every track day I've ever been to in a SM, I've had a lot of point-bys from Mustang drivers who finally realized I only temporarily disappeared. But that was the straight, and now we're in a corner.
racerfink said:dculberson said:In reply to racerfink :
?? I think a spec Miata would be lucky to approach the 8 minute lap time let alone breaking through the 7.
Every track day I've ever been to in a SM, I've had a lot of point-bys from Mustang drivers who finally realized I only temporarily disappeared. But that was the straight, and now we're in a corner.
Are you saying that the GTD is "just another Mustang", such that your spec Miata would still beat it? Umm, okay.
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