Last year, the Ford Mustang GTD’s Nürburgring lap record for American cars was broken by two Chevy Corvettes, those being the ZR1 and ZR1X. Despite the Corvettes being a lot cheaper than the $300,000 GTD, they both managed to edge the hot Mustang around the Green Hell. Not long after that, Ford CEO Jim Farley hinted that a revenge lap was on the cards. Now, new evidence has emerged that an optimized version of the Mustang GTD has claimed back its Nürburgring record—and by a much wider margin than expected.
Related: Ford CEO Hints At Revenge Lap After Corvette Steals Nurburgring Record
Mustang GTD Sets Wild Lap Time
According to a new video posted by StateSideSupercars, the Mustang GTD set a Nürburgring lap time of six minutes and 41.74 seconds. That’s over 10 seconds quicker than the last time set by the GTD and, if accurate, would put the Mustang ahead of everything but the Mercedes-AMG ONE. Here’s a look at the list of confirmed Nürburgring lap times.
- Mercedes-AMG ONE: 06:29.090
- Ford Mustang GTD: 06:41.74 (2026, unconfirmed by Ford)
- Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey Kit: 06:43.300
- Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR: 06:44.749
- Mercedes-AMG Black Series: 06:48.047
- Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X: 06:49.275
- Porsche 911 GT3 RS: 06:49.328
- Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 06:50.763
- Ford Mustang GTD: 06:52.072 (2025)
The new time, if confirmed, would put the Ford ahead of two 911 GT2s, too. According to StateSideSupercars, the time of 06:41.74 could be off by a second or two, as the start and finishing lines were out of sight. But even adding two seconds to that time would put the GTD comfortably ahead of the Corvette ZR1X.
The YouTube channel noted that this could be a Mustang GTD Evo. It has rear aero discs and seems to “smell different” to previous models, suggesting that high-octane fuel was used to increase power. A notary was also present to confirm the lap time, suggesting that this was an official attempt and not a random test run.
According to The Drive, a Ford spokesperson was asked about the GTD’s presence at the Nürburgring, and merely responded with: “Like we said, game on.” If that doesn’t suggest Farley was serious about reclaiming the GTD’s record from Chevy, nothing does.
The GTD Is One Special Mustang
Ford
To justify its $318,760 price tag, Ford threw everything at the Mustang GTD. It has a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 producing 815 horsepower. An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission from Tremec sends power to the rear wheels, and it’s got a semi-active racing suspension. It can reach a top speed of over 200 mph and became the first American car to lap the 12.9-mile Nurburgring circuit in under seven minutes.
With under 2,000 examples expected to be built, it’s also an exclusive Mustang. To meet demand—which has been strong, despite the massive price tag—Ford will be re-opening orders for the GTD in April 2026.
Why It Matters
In the high-performance sports car world, lap times serve as a barometer of ultimate performance. These exclusive machines are all about bragging rights and peak engineering, so even if most people don’t get to experience them, they have a psychological edge over rivals. Many of the optimizations made on the track also filter down to the cars you can buy, so the latest GTD could be launched as an even pricier and more exclusive model. We expect confirmation from Ford imminently about its latest Nürburgring heroics.
