Ford GT Mk IV is the fastest pure-petrol car at Nurburgring

The Ford GT Mk IV has set a Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time of 6 minutes and 15.977 seconds, making it the fastest pure-combustion, non-electrified car to lap the circuit. It is also now the fastest American car around the track, beating the previous record set by the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X (6 minutes and 49.275 seconds).

The lap places the GT Mk IV third overall at the Nurburgring, behind the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo (5 minutes and 19.546 seconds) and the Volkswagen ID.R (6 minutes and 05.336 seconds), both of which use electrified powertrains. The record lap was set by Ford factory driver Frederic Vervisch, a Nurburgring 24 Hours winner.

1. Powered by a 3.8-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 with over 800hp
2. Lap set in prototype class as a track-only model
3. Faster than AMG One’s production car record, but not road-legal

Ford GT Mk IV: Powertrain and performance

The GT Mk IV is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre EcoBoost V6 engine producing over 800hp. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a specially developed sequential gearbox.

The car is based on a carbon-fibre chassis and features a longer wheelbase, long-tail body and enhanced aerodynamics. These changes enable it to generate over 1,088 kg of downforce at 241kph. It also features Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) suspension for track use.

Ford introduced the GT Mk IV in 2022 as the most extreme, track-only version of the GT. It is the final iteration of the current-generation model, with production limited to 67 units and priced at around USD 1.7 million (Rs 15.74 crore).

Track-only model, lap set in prototype category

The GT Mk IV’s lap was set in the prototype category, as it is a track-only model and not road-legal. The car runs without the constraints required for road registration, allowing for more aggressive setup and performance optimisation.  

Its time of 6 minutes and 15.977 seconds is quicker than the Mercedes-AMG One’s 6 minutes and 29.090 seconds, which remains the fastest lap for a road-legal production car at the Nurburgring.