Nürburgring Supremacy
It has been over three years since the Mercedes-AMG One reset the benchmark for production cars at the 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife. That 6:29.050 lap still stands in its official category, even after its own improvement run in 2024.
But Ford has now stepped in with something different. Instead of chasing that exact production-car record, it brought out the Ford GT Mk IV. The result is a 6:15.977 lap, a time that comfortably clears the AMG’s figure, albeit in a different class.
A Lap Time That Sits Near the Very Top
Frédéric Vervisch drove the GT Mk IV to a 6:15.977 lap, making it the third-fastest car ever around the Nordschleife, no matter the class.
Only two machines sit ahead. One is the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo with its long-standing 5:19.546. The other is the all-electric Volkswagen ID.R at 6:05.336. Both are purpose-built prototypes, and both lean on some form of electrification.
What makes this result stand out is that the GT Mk IV relies solely on a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, which pushes over 800 horsepower. There’s no hybrid system or electric help – just pure combustion power.
Of note, the GT Mk IV is the quickest gas-only car to ever run the Nürburgring. More importantly, Ford is now the fastest American automaker around the Nürburgring, snatching the record from Chevrolet.
Ford
Why This Isn’t a Corvette Fight
Some might want to compare this to the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X and call it a Ford victory, but that matchup doesn’t really make sense.
The GT Mk IV costs $1.7 million and is built for the track, not the road. It has a stretched chassis, a race gearbox, and only 67 will be made. This is more like a customer race car than anything you’d find in a dealership.
The ZR1X is a different story. While both the Ford GT Mk IV and the Chevrolet ZR1X that lapped Green Hell were in the Prototype class, the latter’s distinction was purely a technicality (it’s not sold in Europe). However, the ZR1X that ran the track was very much a road-legal production vehicle, so comparing it with the Ford GT Mk IV would be comparing apples and lettuces.
Ford’s real ZR1X challenger would be the Mustang GTD, and the company’s well aware of that. There have been hints about the GTD’s Nürburgring run, but nothing official yet, and even the video that claimed this has gone missing. Let’s see if there will be any announcement in the coming weeks.
Ford
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