(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – Rumors surfaced earlier this week that Ford was back on the scene. After all, they wanted to reclaim the record for the fastest US car on the Nordschleife from rival Chevrolet, who most recently lapped the Ring with the Corvette ZR1X in 6:49,275 minutes.
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Perhaps what the YouTuber saw at the Nürburgring with the Ford Mustang GTD was just preparing the track for a new, much more potent candidate. Because 60 years after the historic Ford GT40 first made the world’s endurance races unsafe and ten years after the modern GT’s Le Mans class victory, the US carmakers sent the Ford GT Mk IV onto the Eifel circuit. And it virtually pulverized the Corvette’s time.
At 6:15,977 minutes, the new Ford GT was around 34 seconds faster than its Chevrolet competitor. This means the Mustang GTD probably doesn’t even need to compete anymore, because with this time, the GT Mk IV is the fastest vehicle from an American manufacturer on the Nordschleife in the prototype category.
There’s even more to come for the Ford GT
Overall, the GT Mk IV, which probably only resembles its ancestors in name, ranks as the third fastest vehicle ever measured on the Ring. This ranking also includes purebred racing cars and electric prototypes. Only Timo Bernhard was faster during the insane 5:19.546-minute drive in the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo and Romain Dumas in the VW ID.R (6:05.336 minutes).
If we only consider models powered by an internal combustion engine, the Ford GT now holds the undisputed best time. But why should that be enough? After all, there is still more to be gained. With the current time, the US supercar is also the fastest track-only vehicle available for purchase on this track.
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The technology behind the model, limited to 67 units, provides the foundation. The car is powered by a specially developed Ford EcoBoost engine with twin-turbochargers, providing an output of over 800 hp. Power is transmitted via a custom-made racing gearbox. Necessary traction is provided by an extended wheelbase and the “Adaptive Spool Valve” (ASV) racing suspension, contributed by long-time engineering partner Multimatic. The carbon fiber “Long Tail” design body is responsible for aerodynamic downforce.
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Ford solidifies Nordschleife presence
Ford Racing factory driver Frédéric Vervisch took the wheel of the new GT. With two overall victories at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2019 and 2022, the Belgian presumably knows the 73 treacherous corners by heart. Recently, he also recorded one of the first victories in the new Mustang GT3 at the 2025 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
Record lap on the Nordschleife
After his record run, Vervisch explained that the car reacts immediately and very precisely to every steering input. The vehicle conveys a lot of confidence, especially in demanding sections like Kesselchen or Flugplatz, allowing the driver to continuously push the limit further.
The current run of the GT Mk IV is part of a comprehensive Ford testing program in the Eifel. The Americans regularly use the demanding track to push various concepts – from electric demonstration vehicles to track-optimized production cars – to their limits. According to Ford, the insights gained will flow directly into the development of future road vehicles.
A look at previous lap times underlines this approach: for example, the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck with Romain Dumas at the wheel completed the Nordschleife in 6:43,482 minutes. Also with Dumas in the cockpit, the Ford Transit SuperVan 4.2 completed the course in a time of 6:48,393 minutes. Dirk Müller brought the previously mentioned Ford Mustang GTD in 6:52,072 minutes over the finish line.
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