'Game On:' Ford CEO Responds to the Corvette's Nürburgring Record
back in December
, and bettered it with a 6:52.07
a few months later
, but Chevrolet
just took the crown
with the Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X. Ford's response? "Game on."
That came directly from CEO Jim Farley, who replied "[c]ongrats to the Corvette team. Game on!" on an Instagram post from the official Corvette page.
The Drive
was the first to bring our attention
to Farley's comment.
Ford could go back to the 'Ring with the Mustang GTD, but that car is at somewhat of a disadvantage to the ZR1 and ZR1X. The Mustang GTD weighs over 4,300 pounds based on
EPA documents that
Road & Track
reported on
back in February, while
Car and Driver
measured the ZR1
at 3,831 pounds. Chevy hasn't revealed a weight figure for the ZR1X, but it's reasonable to expect it to eclipse the 4,000-pound mark.
The Mustang GTD has 815 horsepower, which is a lot, but the ZR1 makes 1,064 hp, and the ZR1X ups it to 1,250 hp. Power and weight figures aren't everything, but they do count for a ton. Still, the GTD has a very advanced suspension system, huge Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, and an extremely advanced aero package that includes a Formula 1-style drag-reduction system to stall the wing on straights.
In any case, we don't know if Ford has anything planned. Farley surely wants to take back the record—he's a racer himself and he's pushing performance hard with the Mustang—but Ford isn't going to go to the 'Ring unless it knows it at least has a chance of beating the Corvette's time. There could be more time in the GTD, but Ford may also need to wait until it has its next, greatest thing to beat Chevy.
More on the Nürburgring
The Mercedes-AMG One Broke Its Own Nurburgring Record
The Fastest Nürburgring Lap Times Ever
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