The Ford GT Mk IV has just rewritten the rulebook for combustion-powered machines at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, laying down a blistering 6min 15.977sec lap around the 20.8 km (12.9-mile) circuit.
That effort places the track-focused GT third overall on the all-time leaderboard, sitting behind two electrified outliers: the Volkswagen ID R (6min 5.336sec) and the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo (5min 19.546sec). There is still more pace to unlock too, as cold conditions during the run meant the Mk IV could not reach its full top speed potential.
The lap also hands Ford bragging rights once again as the quickest American marque around the ’Ring, comfortably eclipsing the 6min 49.275sec benchmark set by the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X last year. It is worth noting that Ford put seasoned Nordschleife racer Frédéric Vervisch behind the wheel, while the Corvette’s time was recorded by dynamics engineer Drew Cattell rather than a professional driver.
Vervisch summed it up simply after the run, describing the Mk IV as something that feels completely dialled in to the driver, delivering a level of precision and aggression that turns every input into immediate action.
Despite the Mk IV’s headline performance, the outright production car record remains in the hands of the Mercedes-AMG One, which clocked a 6min 29.090sec lap in road-legal form.
This version of the GT marks the final evolution of the current generation, built strictly for circuit use and limited to just 67 units, a nod to the original GT40’s famous victory at Le Mans in 1967.
Output climbs significantly over the standard road car, jumping from 650 hp (485 kW) to 789 hp (588 kW), all sent to the rear wheels via a bespoke sequential gearbox. It also benefits from a highly advanced adaptive suspension setup developed by Multimatic, the same outfit involved in programmes like the Ford Mustang GT3 and GTD.
