New Car: 2011 Ford Mustang V6

Wanna see a Ford guy wince? Call the Mustang V-6 a “secretary’s car.” This used to be a reliably fun way to annoy our hosts (or get a beer poured down our backs) at Mustang events, primarily because it was true: with its wheezy, old 4.0-liter V-6 putting out a wimpy-for-a-muscle-car 210 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque, the base ‘Stang couldn’t outrun a Honda Accord V-6. But it seems that our last jab has been made, now that Ford has announced that its 2011 Mustang V-6 will have its power juiced up by some 45 percent to 305 hp, with torque rising 40 lb-ft to 280.

The new, all-aluminum six-pot displaces 3.7 liters, with its signature feature being Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing), which Ford says allows for extremely precise overlap times during which both intake and exhaust valves are open. Simply stated, this allows the engine to operate optimally for hard-charging acceleration—a handy trait for pony cars—but then become more focused on fuel economy during low-load situations. Redline is now a nice, high 7000 rpm. Also helping in both performance and fuel-economy respects are newly fitted manual and automatic transmissions, both with six forward speeds.

Thanks to a frugal 2.73:1 rear axle ratio and tall top gears in both transmissions, fuel economy soars to an impressive 19 mpg in the city and a whopping 30 on the highway for the automatic—besting the segment’s current mileage braggart, the 304-hp Chevrolet Camaro V-6 and its still-impressive 29 highway mpg; fuel economy drops by one mpg to 18/29 for the manual-equipped Mustang V-6. Ford says that it has kept curb weight under 3500 pounds for the coupe, with the engine being 40 pounds lighter than the 4.0-liter it replaces, although the dual-exhaust system adds a few pounds back in (the current Mustang V-6 manual weighs in at 3421 pounds). Also noteworthy are larger brake discs, which have been upgraded to 11.5 inches in front and 11.8 in back, as well as retuned spring and damper rates. The steering components have been replaced by a new electrically assisted system, which offers gains in terms of efficiency but often results in a loss of road feel. Ford claims that the electric system will offer great feel and include tricks like road-crown correction. But we’ll have to see how all these “enhancements” change the overall character of the car.

Thanks to: Car and Driver