What just happened? The Ford GT Mk IV has made motorsport history once again, recording the third-fastest lap ever at Germany's Nürburgring Nordschleife and claiming the title of the quickest pure internal-combustion car to lap the 12.9-mile circuit. The track-only GT set a time of 6 minutes and 15.977 seconds, with Belgian driver Frédéric Vervisch behind the wheel.
The time places the Mk IV just behind two record-holding hybrid and electric machines – the Porsche 919 Hybrid EVO and Volkswagen's ID.R – highlighting the car's singular achievement in an increasingly electrified field. It is also the fastest lap ever recorded by an American manufacturer at the famed German circuit, long regarded as the ultimate test of vehicle performance and endurance.
Vervisch, a two-time Nürburgring 24 Hours winner, described the Ford GT Mk IV's lap as a unique experience, achieved despite cold April conditions that limited the car's top speed to 193 mph. "Driving the Ford GT Mk IV at the Nürburgring is an experience unlike any other," he said. The Belgian driver credited the car's precise handling and the work of Ford Performance engineers for giving him the confidence to push at the limit.
What makes the Mk IV remarkable is not just its speed, but also its place in Ford's modern performance legacy. Built by Multimatic, the Canadian engineering firm behind Ford's GT race program, the limited-run model is the final and most extreme iteration of the third-generation Ford GT. Only 67 units will be produced, a homage to the 1967 GT40 Mk IV that won Le Mans.
This final model is designed exclusively for the track. Beneath its longtail body, the Mk IV features a tuned twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 producing over 800 horsepower, along with Multimatic's advanced suspension and a lightweight carbon-fiber construction.
The Mk IV's performance also marks a pivotal moment for internal combustion development, at a time when most record-setting cars rely on hybrid systems or electric torque. While Ford has signaled its commitment to electrified performance with models like the Mustang Mach-E, the Mk IV stands apart as a late-stage showcase of high-end internal-combustion engineering.
Ford has not indicated a successor for the GT line, making this version both a technical statement and a likely collector's piece. Despite its nostalgic appeal, the car's Nürburgring performance suggests that internal combustion innovation still has the potential to impress, even as the industry transitions to electrification.