Ford GT Mk IV Breaks Track Record at Circuit Of The Americas

Unofficial Record Broken: Track Weapon Clocks 1:58.77 in Race

The remarkable GT Mk IV from Ford has achieved a groundbreaking milestone at Circuit of The Americas by breaking the (unofficial) lap record during its testing with Multimatic Motorsports.

The GT completed a lap around the 3.426-mile track in an astonishing 1:58.77 seconds. According to Ford Performance, this is the quickest recorded time for any GT car on that circuit and a whopping 13 seconds faster than the previous production car record set by the Czinger 21C. To provide some context, the Aston Martin Vantage AMR LM GTE racer clocked in at 2:02.552 during its attempt on the same track. The fastest recorded lap, although unofficial since it took place during qualifying rather than a race, was achieved by Valtteri Bottas in his Mercedes-AMG F1 W10 racer with a jaw-dropping time of 1:32.029 in 2019.

One surprising fact is that the GT Mk IV, although not approved for street use, is actually a custom-made vehicle rather than a complete race car.

Onboard footage recorded the remarkable accomplishment and can be seen in the video below.

Ford GT MK IV - COTA 1:58.77 Lap

As the Ford races into turn one, it effortlessly gains speed and clings tightly to the pavement, skimming past the rumble strips as it navigates through turns 3 to 6. It appears that Sloss may have lost control, but his exceptional skills behind the wheel swiftly bring the GT Mk IV back on track.

Nestled in Austin, Texas, the Circuit of The Americas was intricately crafted as the premier circuit in the United States tailored solely for Formula 1 races. Renowned architect Hermann Tilke summoned his expertise to create this remarkable stretch of asphalt, drawing inspiration from esteemed global race tracks and incorporating elements of their most legendary turns and sequences.

It’s difficult to overlook the impressive soundtrack produced by the Ford 3.5-liter V6 engine with twin-turbochargers. Boasting a staggering 800 horsepower, it launches off the starting line with unbridled force. However, its capabilities go beyond just straight-line speed. The elongated wheelbase, Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve race suspension, high-performance transmission, and lightweight carbon fiber body all contribute to creating a dynamic track-focused vehicle. And how much does all of this impressive engineering come at? A hefty price tag of $1.7 million. On top of that, only a limited production run of 67 units is planned.

It is highly unlikely that we will witness the release of another Ford GT in the near future, as the brand’s latest top-tier race car is now the Mustang GTD. This remarkable road-ready speedster boasts 800 horsepower beneath its hood and carries a hefty price tag of $300,000. Despite this development, the Mk IV still holds a unique spot in our memory, and serves as a benchmark for the upcoming attempt by the Hennessy Venom F5 to break the lap record at COTA.