Just hours after unveiling the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD, the racing-inspired machine is now on display at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, during Monterey Car Week. We got to spend time with Ford Chief Program Engineer for Future Model Year Performance Vehicles Greg Goodall and Group Product Marketing Manager Enthusiast Vehicles Omar Odeh to discuss the latest evolution of the brand’s pony car.
Ford makes no secret that one goal for the GTD program is to do a sub-7-minute lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The car is still under development, but simulations say this time is possible.
“It’s an estimate,” Goodall told Motor1.com. “We have not run formally. We’ve done a very extensive amount of computer simulation. But we’ve still yet to take it to the track.”
Odeh added: “It would be potentially the fastest Ford we’ve ever taken to the Nürburgring.”
However, it’s worth noting that there haven’t been many other Fords with the GTD’s level of performance. The most recent GT supercar would be the best comparison point. Unfortunately, Ford never formally took its mid-engined flagship to the ‘Ring to set a lap time.
According to Odeh, Ford is benchmarking the GTD against the Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. This Mustang needs to do more than merely break the 7-minute barrier to beat these models, though.
The GT2 RS lapped the ‘Ring in 6 minutes 47.3 seconds in September 2017. It set a new record of 6:41 in June 2021 by using Manthey Racing upgrades. The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series ran around the circuit in 6:43.61 in November 2020. Odeh didn’t mention this model, but the latest Porsche GT3 RS can hustle around the track in 6:49.328.
The Ford team is optimistic about what the GTD can do. “This is something we’ve never done on Mustang,” Goodall said. “It takes performance to the extreme. Eight hundred horsepower. That’s the highest-rated Mustang that we’ve ever made. Sub-seven-minute Nürburgring time. We’ve never had a Mustang that approaches that. So this is just completely different than anything we’ve done before.”
The GTD has options to make it even lighter and provide improved downforce. Buyers can upgrade to carbon fiber parts for the front and rear fascias. An aerodynamics package adds hydraulically controlled front flaps, a carbon-fiber underbody tray, and an active rear wing. A set of forged magnesium wheels are another choice.
We asked Ford how little the Mustang GTD can weigh with these options. “We’re not talking about those types of performance specs yet,” Goodall said. “That’ll come out later. We’re still in a bit of the development process.”
The GTD will go into production in late 2024 and will be on sale for the 2025 model year. Prices will start at around $300,000. Ford will select buyers by application in a process similar to selling the GT.
