Ford GT is the fastest car around VIR.
Update: The Ford GT is officially the new king. A few days after Car and Driver’s 2;43.0 Lightning Lap, the Ford GT took another lap around the track with Ford racing driver Billy Johnson at the wheel. The GT recorded a lap time 2:38.62 making it the fastest car on the track.
What is the speed of the new Ford GT We now know how fast the new Ford GT is on the track. Other than its 647 horsepower (482 Kilowatts) and 550 pounds-feet (745 Newton meters) of torque, Driver and took the Ford GT to Virginia International Speedway, which is a bit like an American Nurburgring. They set a very impressive lap time.
The Ford GT, at 2:43.0 is the fastest car that the publication has ever tested at VIR in its Lightning Lap series. It also happens to be the third fastest car around this track. The Corvette Z06 is faster around VIR (2:41.32) and the Dodge Viper CR (2.40.02 )…, but C&D estimates a lap time of “potentially by whole seconds”).
Although it is slower than its American counterparts the GT is still faster than supercars such as the Porsche 918 (2.43.10) and the Mercedes-AMG GT R (2.33.40). The GT also posted the second fastest speed on the track at 163.6 miles an hour (263.3 km per hour) down the front straight, just ahead of the Porsche 918 (170.6 MPH). The GT reached 148.0 mph in the climbing Esses and clocked a staggering 1.17 gs in Turn One.
It’s an incredible feat, even if you consider it’s the only vehicle among C&D top 10 that did it with a six-cylinder engine, a 3.5-liter biturbo EcoBoost. VIR also ranks it as the fifth-best vehicle overall. Porsche 911 Turbo S is the next six-cylinder car, clocking in at 2:46.80.
Let’s all hope that the Ford GT will make it to the Nurburgring.