Ford GT Mk IV Sets 6:15.977 Nürburgring Lap Record

On April 1, 2026, the Ford GT Mk IV achieved a landmark lap time of 6 minutes and 15.977 seconds around Germany's Nürburgring Nordschleife, securing the third-fastest official record on the 12.9-mile circuit known for its demanding 170 turns and elevation changes through the Eifel Mountains. Belgian driver Frédéric Vervisch, a two-time winner of the Nürburgring 24 Hours race, piloted the track-only supercar for Ford Performance, marking the fastest lap ever recorded by an American manufacturer and the quickest for a vehicle powered solely by an internal combustion engine.

The run took place under cold April conditions that capped the car's top speed at 193 miles per hour, yet it still surpassed the previous American record of 6:49.275 set by a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X in 2025 and outpaced the Mercedes-AMG One's 2024 production car benchmark of 6:29.090 by more than 13 seconds. Only two prototype vehicles have posted faster times: the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo at 5:19.546 in 2018 and the electric Volkswagen ID.R at 6:05.336 in 2019. As a non-street-legal model in the prototype category, the GT Mk IV does not qualify for production car records, but its performance underscores the...