Ford GT Goes to Norway, Sets Lap Record in the Arctic
Ford brought a Triple Yellow Ford GT to Norway for a bomb along the beguiling Atlantic Ocean Road.
The 5.2-mile road connects the island of Averøy with the mainland and the Romsdalshalvøya peninsula as it runs between the villages of Kårvåg and Vevang, jumping the small islands and skerries that make up the Eide archipelago courtesy of several causeways, viaducts, and bridges. The route has been internationally recognized as the world’s best road trip, and at least 10 automakers have used the locale to film advertisements.
“The Atlantic Ocean Road has to be driven to be believed. Only the most hardened cynic could fail to be unmoved by a journey across scenery of such unimaginable beauty,” said host Steve Sutcliffe. “I had to break our rating system on this occasion, and score the road 11/10 for scenery. What else can you do on a route where you can actually see whales when you are driving along?”
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But really, Ford went to Norway in order to set a new lap record at the Arctic Circle Raceway, a high-speed, flowing, 12-turn circuit located just 30-km outside the Arctic Circle. With Ford Chip Ganassi Racing driver and Le Mans ace Stefan Mücke behind the wheel, the GT went home from the Arctic triumphant with a 1:36.29, becoming the fastest stock production car to lap the Norwegian circuit.
Were you expecting anything less?
Even so, the GT’s record time is some 16 seconds slower than the fastest ever lap of the almost Arctic circuit, a 1:20.62, which was set nearly 20 years ago in a Formula 3 car.
A version of this story originally appeared on All Ford Mustangs
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