The Nürburgring Nordschleife has long been considered a benchmark for car performance, especially for brands that care about precision, power, and legacy. In early 2025, two giants once again faced off: Porsche and Ford. Porsche started by setting a new record for the fastest manual-transmission production car, and Ford didn't lag behind, returning to the 'Ring and recording one of the fastest lap times in history.
Porsche set the record with the 911 GT3 with six-speed manual transmission and optional Weissach Package. It was led by Porsche ambassador Jörg Bergmeister, who completed the 20.832 km track in 6:56.294, beating the previous record by more than 9.5 seconds. Although the 510 hp flat-six engine remained unchanged, the GT3's new chassis setup and shorter gear ratio gave it sharper performance, and it was more confident in turns.
Not long after, Ford returned to the Nürburgring and broke their own record, setting a 6:52.072 with the Mustang GTD. It was 4 seconds faster than the Porsche GT3 and became the fourth fastest production car to lap the ‘Ring. The GTD received major upgrades, such as a stiffer chassis, tweaks to the ABS and traction systems, and refined aerodynamics. The 815-hp supercharged V8 engine was able to reach its full potential in the right weather conditions.
Why is this race important? lap times at the Nürburgring serve as a benchmark for today's production cars. Ford and Porsche show that there are two different perspectives on performance—one based on purity and control, the other on brute force and race tech. In 2025, the pace of production cars will be faster, and the upcoming track battles will be even more exciting.
