Ford has gone back to the Nürburgring with a harder-edged Mustang GTD, the GTD Competition, and posted a 6:40.835 lap of the Nordschleife. Factory driver Dirk Müller set the time on March 24, 2026. Ford announced it in April.
A big jump
That figure is more than 11 seconds quicker than the standard Mustang GTD's previous 6:52.072, and it edges out the all-wheel-drive Corvette ZR1X. That makes the front-engine, rear-drive Mustang the fastest American car around the 'Ring. The supercharged 5.2-litre V8 gets hardware upgrades and "aggressive tuning" to push beyond the standard GTD's 815 hp. Added front dive planes, rear carbon-fibre aero discs, and a revised wing (with DRS) increase downforce.
You'll be able to buy one
This isn't a one-off race car. Ford says the GTD Competition will be offered as a strictly limited, serialized, street-legal special edition, a road car carrying the exact upgrades that set the time.
Why it matters
The Mustang-versus-Corvette duel at the 'Ring has become one of the best rivalries in performance cars. Beating an AWD hybrid with a front-engine, rear-drive coupe is the kind of result that makes the lap time worth the headline, and the fact that Ford will sell the weapon that did it only sharpens the story. See how they compare in our Corvette ZR1X vs Ford Mustang breakdown, or where the GTD lands on our fastest cars list.
Lap time and specifications as announced by Ford. Production volume, pricing, and ordering details are still to be confirmed by Ford; we'll update when they are.
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Sources: New Ford Mustang GTD Competition clocks record time at Nürburgring (Ford). Photography: Ford.