For 2011, Ford is playing catch up to the Camaro and Challenger in terms of horsepower. The new 5.0 liter V8 engine gives the Mustang GT 412 horsepower, not far off from either of its competitors, while still managing to be the least heavy of the trio. It even bests both cars when it comes to fuel efficiency, getting 26 mpg when equipped with a six-speed manual, or 25 mpg when optioned with the six-speed automatic transmission.
26 MPG and 412 horsepower sounds great, right? Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to take the new 5.0 engine and Mustang into the next decade, as fuel efficiency standards continue to increase.
President Obama announced last May that he wants the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) ratings to hit 35 mpg by 2016. This is four years earlier than President Bush had wanted, and it means ramping up production of small, fuel efficient earlier than intended. Cars like the Mustang and its muscle car brethren will be holding back the average even with “good” ratings like 26 mpg. And even this rating isn’t all that impressive when you consider that the Fox body Mustangs from the early 1990’s routinely get over 25 mpg.
In fact, if you head to the governments fueleconomy.gov website, you’ll see that a 1990 Mustang GT with an automatic transmission was rating at 23 mpg on the highway. This was on an engine that, sans fuel injection and a roller camshaft, was largely unchanged from the 302 that first debuted back in 1968, back by an automatic transmission with just four speeds, rather than six. In fact, compared to today’s high-tech Mustang, the Fox body looks like it belongs in the Flintstones. Yet, it still delivers comparable gas mileage, and many enthusiasts claim to have gone as high as 30 mpg on the highway by driving gently and consistently.
Of course back in 1990, the Fox Mustang had just 225 horsepower, compared with 2011’s 412 horsepower. But in doubling the horsepower, Ford has hardly budged the fuel economy, improving it by just 15% in almost 20 years. At that rate, it would take the Mustang another twenty years to reach 30 mpg.
The reality is, the Mustang needs to get to 30 mpg before 2016 if it hopes to survive the next twenty years. The V6 Mustang, meanwhile, delivers 31 mpg and 305 horsepower. There is no doubt today’s Mustang is a superior vehicle, but we think Ford can do a bit better. Who knows, maybe one day we will even drive…a hybrid Mustang. It might not sound so crazy when gas costs $5 a gallon or more.
http://www.stangtv.com/forum/2011-mustang-gt-gets-26-mpg-6593.html
26 MPG and 412 horsepower sounds great, right? Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to take the new 5.0 engine and Mustang into the next decade, as fuel efficiency standards continue to increase.
President Obama announced last May that he wants the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) ratings to hit 35 mpg by 2016. This is four years earlier than President Bush had wanted, and it means ramping up production of small, fuel efficient earlier than intended. Cars like the Mustang and its muscle car brethren will be holding back the average even with “good” ratings like 26 mpg. And even this rating isn’t all that impressive when you consider that the Fox body Mustangs from the early 1990’s routinely get over 25 mpg.
In fact, if you head to the governments fueleconomy.gov website, you’ll see that a 1990 Mustang GT with an automatic transmission was rating at 23 mpg on the highway. This was on an engine that, sans fuel injection and a roller camshaft, was largely unchanged from the 302 that first debuted back in 1968, back by an automatic transmission with just four speeds, rather than six. In fact, compared to today’s high-tech Mustang, the Fox body looks like it belongs in the Flintstones. Yet, it still delivers comparable gas mileage, and many enthusiasts claim to have gone as high as 30 mpg on the highway by driving gently and consistently.
Of course back in 1990, the Fox Mustang had just 225 horsepower, compared with 2011’s 412 horsepower. But in doubling the horsepower, Ford has hardly budged the fuel economy, improving it by just 15% in almost 20 years. At that rate, it would take the Mustang another twenty years to reach 30 mpg.
The reality is, the Mustang needs to get to 30 mpg before 2016 if it hopes to survive the next twenty years. The V6 Mustang, meanwhile, delivers 31 mpg and 305 horsepower. There is no doubt today’s Mustang is a superior vehicle, but we think Ford can do a bit better. Who knows, maybe one day we will even drive…a hybrid Mustang. It might not sound so crazy when gas costs $5 a gallon or more.
http://www.stangtv.com/forum/2011-mustang-gt-gets-26-mpg-6593.html