2011 Mustang GT 5.0

[Nethead]

Car and Driver does their annual thing, and the Nethead here takes issue only with the Sonata:

Car and Driver Names its 10Best Cars for 2011Three American, three German, one Korean, and three Japanese brands win? the magazine's highest honor

November 23, 2010 - Ann Arbor, Michigan ?

Car and Driver, the world's largest automotive enthusiast publication, today announced its 10Best Cars for 2011. Amid high-horsepower machinery such as the 556-hp Cadillac CTS-V, the editors at Car and Driver included an electrically powered vehicle for the first time ever-the groundbreaking Chevrolet Volt.

"Our 10Best award celebrates the best cars on sale in America for less than $80,000," said Car and Driver VP/editor-in-chief, Eddie Alterman. "In our testing," Alterman continued, "we are looking for those automobiles that deliver spectacular value, real driver engagement, and the highest fulfillment of their intended missions. Our testing takes place over a week on real roads in the real world, marshalling more than 60 new test cars and our entire editorial staff. It's a real workout, and the best cars on the market emerge victorious."

Below is the list of Car and Driver's 10Best Cars for 2011:

BMW 3-series/M3
Cadillac CTS-V
Chevrolet Volt
Ford Mustang GT
Honda Accord
Honda Fit
Hyundai Sonata
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Volkswagen Golf/GTI

For the complete story, check out the January issue of Car and Driver, or head to caranddriver.com.

2011 Ford Mustang GT - 10Best Cars
Ponyboy, going gold.

VEHICLE TYPE >
front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
BASE PRICE >
$30,495
ENGINE TYPE >
DOHC 32-valve 5.0-liter V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Power (SAE net) > 412 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net) > 390 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS >
6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase > 107.1 in
Length > 188.1 in
Width > 73.9 in
Height > 55.8 in
Curb weight > 3600 lb

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving >
17?18/25?26 mpg

You might wonder why we?ve left the Mustang GT?s equine siblings to snort in the paddock. It?s simple: The GT is the ideal blend of performance and value, serving up brutal muscle, daily usability, and the agility of an honest-to-Edsel sports coupe at an eminently fair $30,495. The V-6 model is less expensive, but it cedes more than 100 horsepower to the GT and lacks the V-8?s final measure of polish (the six goes gritty at high rpm, for example). The Shelby GT500 betters the GT?s 0.94 g of grip, 153-foot 70-to-0 braking distance, and 4.6-second 0-to-60 sprint, but those bragging rights cost an extra 19 grand?a nicely optioned five-door Fiesta, or just $4000 shy of a V-6 Stang?and it isn?t as livable besides. Yes, the Mustang?s interior still could use better materials, but the drive is the thing. From the how-the-hell?d-they-do-that? taming of the live rear axle to the tactile steering to the crisp six-speed manual, the 2011 GT is, save for the GT supercar, perhaps the most gratifying Ford ever made. But even better than the chassis is the five-point-oh! V-8 thundering away underhood: It?s a soulful marvel, smooth in its power delivery and mellifluous in its sound. Where the V-6 and GT500 are good?make that really good?the Mustang GT is greatness at a great price, and that?s why it alone grabs the trophy.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10q4/2011_10best_cars-10best_cars/2011_ford_mustang_gt_page_5

[Nethead]

2011 Ford Mustang GT earns Best Resale Value Award in high-performance car category

November 25, 2010 By jon

KBB.com just rated the 2011 Mustang GT as the best retail value for a high-performance car.  Given the stiff competition in the high-performance category (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc?) it?s a pretty impressive accolade!


Kelley Blue Book itself sez:

2011 Best Resale Value Awards: Category Winners
Posted 11/16/2010 12:29 PM

In addition to crowning two brands and 10 overall winners with 2011 Best Resale Value Awards, we also named 18 category champions.

Segment winners you might recognize from last year's list include Honda Accord, Toyota Sienna and seven others. Cars that bumped their way onto the podium this year include the GMC Acadia, which replaced the Honda Pilot, and the Ford Mustang, supplanting the Chevy Corvette. The Best Brand and Best Luxury Brand winners - Subaru and BMW, respectively - each claimed two category wins.
.
.
.
2011 Ford Mustang GT | Best Resale Value: High-Performance Car
Fuel economy may be all the rage, but the appeal of affordable horsepower is as strong as ever. For the 2011 model year, Ford upgraded the Mustang GT with a new 5.0-liter V8 that pumps out 412 horsepower and returns up to 26 highway miles per gallon. Topped off with a Best Resale Value Award, the Mustang is smarter fun than ever. How much fun? Check out our Mustang GT video.
.
.
.
2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty | Best Resale Value: Full-Size Pickup
For decades now, Ford's Super Duty pickup trucks have served as ultra-reliable workhorses for those who tow for work or play. The latest Super Duty continues to offer immense towing abilities but with an added focus on passenger comfort and a newfound level of technological sophistication. With a new, more powerful, more fuel-efficient engine lineup for 2011, the Ford Super Duty's second category win in as many years isn't likely to be its last.

[Nethead]

From www.cars.com:

Shoppers' Choice Award
Millions of shoppers visit Cars.com each month as they search for their next car, truck or SUV. While here, they make contacts with and send leads to dealers, and often review their own cars as well. From all of that activity (and a little online voting), we determine which car best represents the voice of our shoppers.

And the winner is:
Ford Mustang
The American muscle-car classic scored very highly in search and leads to dealers, and got high marks from many of the consumers who reviewed it.

Award Nominees
Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Ford Fusion
Ford Expedition
Ford Mustang
Mazda Mazda6
Nissan Murano
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Prius

[Nethead]

www.leftlanenews.com:

Jeep, Cadillac, Ford win Internet Car and Truck of the Year awards

The all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee proved a favorite of automotive journalists and the public alike, taking home both the ?Internet Pros? and ?Average Joes? Truck of the Year Award.

The ?Internet Pros? ? made up of 15 online automotive journalists including Leftlane?s Mark Elias ? also selected the Cadillac CTS-V as their Car of the Year. ?Average Joes,? including thousands of online voters, picked the Ford Mustang GT as their Car of the Year recipient, although the Mustang won out over the CTS-V by just one percentage point. (No, the CTS-V lost by a full percentage point )

Also competing for the awards were the Ford Fiesta, Ford F-Series Super Duty and Ram 2500.

The award will be officially presented to automaker representatives later today at the New England International Auto Show in Boston.

First-ever ?Internet Automotive Journalist of the Year? award
Beginning a new tradition for 2010, Jerry Flint was posthumously nominated for the Internet Automotive Journalist of the Year award. Flint was renowned for his straight-shooting style and long standing work with major publications including Forbes. Flint also has countless awards for his work in the automotive journalism field, including the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism in 2003, for his Forbes ?Backseat Driver? column.

Flint?s award will be presented to his widow, and fellow automotive journalist Kate McLeod.

The Internet Car and Truck of the Year awards were created by Keith Griffin and a group of internet automotive websites and the New England Motor Press Association.

[Cobra93]

Got the 275's on it today. A subtle but worthwhile improvement. 











And I can verify that it will easily spin them through second gear. 

[SVT666]

I.  Hate.  You.

[Cobra93]

I.  Hate.  You.

[SVT666]

No.  Really.  You are doing everything to it that I would do...except I would have gone with Magnaflow Magnapacks for the mufflers.

[Cobra93]

No.  Really.  You are doing everything to it that I would do...except I would have gone with Magnaflow Magnapacks for the mufflers.

I went with the GT500's because, being an OEM piece, they're guaranteed not to drone. Would you have put on a Steeda CAI and computer tune? Because that's next. 

And what do you think about this shifter boot that matches the OEM seat stripe?

[SVT666]

I went with the GT500's because, being an OEM piece, they're guaranteed not to drone. Would you have put on a Steeda CAI and computer tune? Because that's next.  

And what do you think about this shifter boot that matches the OEM seat stripe?

Seriously.  Are you trying to make me hate you more?

This is the intake I will be putting on when I get my 2011.  MM&FF tested the one they made for the '05-'10 and the results whowed it provided the most and the coolest air of all the CAIs on the market and produced the best ETs.

http://www.wmsracing.com/wmsweb/2011_hvi.html

[hotrodalex]

Needs 295's.

And that shifter boot is sweet.

[Cobra93]

Needs 295's.

That would require changing wheels. Perhaps a bit later.

And that shifter boot is sweet.

I thought so too. It should be here by Tuesday. 

[MrH]

Redline products?

[Cobra93]

Redline products?

Yep.

[sportyaccordy]

God damn... I want a Mustang

[Nethead]

God damn... I want a Mustang

Ditto!

[Nethead]

Got the 275's on it today. A subtle but worthwhile improvement. 

Excellent!  The striped shifter boot is a class touch!

[Nethead]

Another non-shocker from www.wardsauto.com:

Ward?s Names 10 Best Engines Winners
By Tom Murphy
WardsAuto.com, Dec 7, 2010 9:00 AM
     
The auto industry is embracing the age of electrification, and so too is the Ward?s 10 Best Engines list.

Both the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle and Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV earn their way onto the 2011 list, as selected by Ward?s editors after evaluating 38 vehicles with new or significantly improved engines for the ?11 model year.

But fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness are not the most important criteria for eligibility this year, as seen by recognition of the new 5.0L V-8 in the Ford Mustang GT, 5.0L V-8 in the Hyundai Genesis and the 3.0L supercharged V-6 in the Audi S4.

?We have something for everybody on this year?s Ward?s 10 Best Engines list,? says Drew Winter, editor-in-chief of Ward?s AutoWorld magazine. ?It?s the most diverse mix we?ve ever had, as well as the most technologically advanced.?

This year?s winners and the applications tested:

?3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi S4)
?3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 335i)
?1.6L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Mini Cooper S)
?3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Dodge Avenger)
?5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang GT)
?1.4L DOHC I-4/111kW Drive Motor (Chevrolet Volt)
?5.0L Tau DOHC V-8 (Hyundai Genesis)
?80kW AC Synchronous Electric Motor (Nissan Leaf)
?2.0L DOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Volkswagen Jetta TDI)
?3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (Volvo S60)

Now in its 17th year, the Ward?s 10 Best Engines competition is designed to recognize powertrains that set new benchmarks in their respective vehicle segments.

Banquet room fills up for 2010 Ward?s 10 Best Engines ceremony last January.  
?The one thing they have in common is they all are stand-out performers in their own way and sell the value proposition of the vehicles they power,? Winter says.

Ward?s editors spent October and November driving the vehicles in their routine daily commutes around metro Detroit and scored each engine based on power, technology, observed fuel economy and noise, vibration harshness. There was no instrumented testing.

This year?s list represents the biggest turnover in the history of the competition, with six completely new engines or propulsion systems, two heavily modified engines (from BMW AG and Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.) and only two direct carryover engines (from Volkswagen AG and Audi AG) from the 2010 list.

The Audi S4 supercharged V-6 muscles its way onto the list for a second straight year with a stealthy 333 hp and 325 lb.-ft. (440 Nm) of torque that peaks at 2,900 rpm and holds steady until 5,300 rpm. The effect is all-consuming, washing over the driver like waves on a beach.

Through it all, the TFSI V-6 manages better than 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) on the highway during Ward?s evaluation. Having replaced a gas-guzzling 4.2L V-8, the forced-induction V-6 demonstrates how engine downsizing need not come with a performance penalty.

BMW?s well-regarded 3.0L N54 twin-turbocharged inline-6 earned Ward?s 10 Best Engines honors in 2007, 2008 and 2009. For 2011, the N55 I-6 in the 335i replaces the two compressors with a single twin-scroll turbocharger that saves weight, improves throttle response, boosts fuel efficiency (15% over the N54) and reduces friction, while decimating the notion of turbo lag.

Integrating the third-generation Valvetronic intake and Double-VANOS stepless variable valve timing, the 300-hp ?Twin Power? N55 reaches its torque apex of 300 lb.-ft. (407 Nm) at a mere 1,200 rpm, propelling the 335i sedan with shocking ease. For drivability and smoothness, the N55 is unparalleled.

Another new engine on this year?s list is the 1.6L turbocharged direct-injection I-4 that packs a mighty punch in the Mini Cooper S. With a specific output of 113 hp/L, this package quickly rose to the top of a crowded field of new small-displacement 4-cyl. engines in this year?s competition.

The latest ?Prince? engine in the Cooper S is assembled for BMW by PSA Peugeot Citroen in Douvrin, France, and integrates BMW?s excellent Valvetronic fully variable valve timing system, which enhances power and fuel efficiency. Driven hard, this prince of an engine still musters better than 34 mpg (6.9 L/100 km) during our test drive.

Freshly launched from Chrysler Group LLC?s Trenton, MI, and Saltillo, Mexico, engine plants, the all-new 3.6L Pentastar V-6 arrives with extremely high expectations, powering 10 model-year ?11 applications ranging from sedans to SUVs.

Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter addresses crowd at 2010 Ward?s 10 Best Engines banquet.  
Ward?s editors drove the Dodge Avenger and Jeep Grand Cherokee for 10 Best Engines and found the Pentastar up for any challenge. Even without direct injection and turbocharging, the V-6 does not seem to lack sophistication. At idle, it is as quiet as a whisper. After driving the Avenger, one editor said it?s difficult to believe an engine this good is in such an affordable car.

The Ford Mustang has a long history with V-8s, but pony-car aficionados formed a special bond with the 5.0L V-8 that launched in 1979. For ?11, the all-aluminum ?Five-Oh? returns, dazzling potential buyers with 412 hp and advanced twin independent variable camshaft timing, which boosts low-end torque, peak power and fuel economy.

Of course, few 5.0L buyers are shopping MPG. For those who are, one Ward?s editor exceeded 19 mpg (12.3 L/100 km) in mostly highway driving. This engine might be politically incorrect by today?s standards, but there is a place for it in the market. Embrace your inner muscle car and enjoy this burly V-8 as long as the Environmental Protection Agency deems it street legal.

Like Chrysler, General Motors Co. was pulling itself out of bankruptcy little more than a year ago. Meanwhile, it was developing a car that revolutionizes mobility: the Chevrolet Volt. Some consider it a glorified hybrid while others just don?t understand it.

Here are the facts: It plugs into a 120V wall socket and charges in 10 hours, or four hours on a dedicated 240V charger. Depending on several factors, the range will last anywhere from 25 to 40 miles (40 to 64 km), at which point an 84-hp 1.4L 4-cyl. engine imperceptibly kicks on to spin a generator that continues turning the wheels.

The EPA rates the Volt?s overall combined fuel efficiency at 60 mpg (3.9 L/100 km); in electric mode, the rating is 93 mpg equivalent (2.5 L/100 km). Drive the Volt almost exclusively in electric mode and gas stations will become less a part of daily life. The ?Voltec? propulsion system is brilliant ? a technological masterpiece.

Returning to the Ward?s 10 Best Engines list is Hyundai?s excellent Tau V-8. In 2009, when Hyundai?s first-ever V-8 won a Ward?s 10 Best Engines award, it displaced 4.6L, employed conventional port injection and produced 375 hp. In 2010, it was tweaked to generate 385 hp.

For ?11, the Tau returns practically as a clean-sheet design, with more displacement (5.0L), direct injection and staggering output (429 hp and 376 lb.-ft. [510 Nm] of torque) for the Genesis and Equus flagship sedan.

Meanwhile, fuel efficiency is rated higher with the new Tau than the current 4.6L. During our drives of the 5.0L, Ward?s editors achieved 19 mpg (12.3 L/100 km). It?s enough savvy thrust for this scrappy South Korean upstart to command respect among the world?s best luxury brands.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. manages the first-ever Ward?s 10 Best Engines award for an all-electric vehicle, the Leaf. True, the Leaf has no engine ? just a battery-powered electric motor that turns the wheels through a single speed reducer.


What?s remarkable about the Leaf is how much it feels like a conventional car, with four doors, five seats and accelerator and brake pedals that could have been borrowed from a Nissan Versa, or any other gas-driven subcompact. The Leaf is affordable ? about $25,000 with a federal tax credit ? and a thrill to drive.

Range anxiety is a hurdle, just like in 1908, when the first Ford Model T buyers worried about finding gas stations. But an electrical socket ? ubiquitous in the developed world ? is all that is needed for people who want to own and drive a Leaf, while consuming no gasoline and creating zero emissions. As a propulsion system, it truly deserves recognition.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI, with its 2.0L 140-hp turbodiesel, becomes the dean of the Ward?s 10 Best Engines list, the only returning winner with three consecutive wins at the same output levels with the same technologies onboard.

This quiet, pleasurable, torque-rich 4-cyl. demonstrates the finest attributes of the new generation of clean diesels, using regenerating particulate filters and oxidation catalysts to meet federal emissions standards.

The 2.0L engine?s small footprint lets it function without expensive urea-injection aftertreatment. There is no better vehicle for a roadtrip than the Jetta TDI, capable of 42 mpg (5.6 L/100 km).

Last but not least, Volvo Car Corp. lands its first Ward?s 10 Best Engines honor, for the 3.0L turbocharged I-6 in the S60 sedan. Volvo clearly benchmarked BMW in developing the supremely smooth ?T6? engine, based on its delicious mid-range power band and paucity of turbo lag.

This engine is perfectly suited for the all-new S60 and powers it into contention against bigger, better-established luxury entries. The T6 creates a new performance-oriented dimension for a brand seeking to expand under new Chinese ownership.

To be eligible for the competition, each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2011, in a vehicle priced no more than $55,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.

Winners from the 2010 competition automatically were eligible and evaluated against the new engines.

The awards will be presented at a Jan. 12 ceremony in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show.

Complete stories about the Ward?s 10 Best Engines will be featured Dec. 16 on WardsAuto.com and in upcoming issues of Ward?s AutoWorld magazine and Ward?s Engine & Vehicle Technology Update newsletter.

tmurphy@wardsauto.com

[Rich]

My Mustang no longer belongs to the bank as of today

Now just work on saving for retirement

[SVT666]

My Mustang no longer belongs to the bank

That was....fast.

[Cobra93]

My Mustang no longer belongs to the bank as of today

Mine never did. Feels good, don't it? 

[Rich]

Yep. I figured yours was paid for since you were looking at more expensive cars. So you have some mod money too. Want to spare some for a gt500 spoiler and borla exhaust?

[Nethead]

Automobile Magazine did their All-Stars selections this month, and the ten selections are shown below, along with the reasons why the Mustang (basic and Mustang GT) is one of those ten:

Automobile Magazine names 2011 All-Stars
by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Dec 16th 2010 at 5:33PM

Automobile has compiled a list of the 2011 model year vehicles deserving of all-star recognition. To show off each choice, the buff book has enlisted illustrator Daniel Stolle to turn each vehicle into a child's toy. The list of 2011 Automobile All-Stars features:

BMW 3 Series
Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
Dodge Ram 1500
Ford Mustang
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Sonata
Jaguar XJ
Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Volkswagen GTI
Volvo S60
It's hard to argue with that rundown and you can head over to Automobile for more insight into how and why the pub's editors picked this group to be honored.

And here's Automobile Magazine's reasons for choosing the 2011 Mustang over any of the imitations:

FEATURES: 
2011 Automobile Magazine All-Stars

Ford Mustang

Just one year after we gave the 2010 Chevy Camaro an All-Star award, the Ford Mustang brings home the prize for 2011. This is just the latest chapter in the punch-for-punch pony-car battle that has been going on for the better part of forty years. This year's knockout blow came when Ford brought the 5.0-liter V-8 back from the dead, but even Vanilla Ice knows that the new "five point oh" isn't the only engine that the frequently revised Mustang has going for it.

The base 2011 Mustang's very capable, very impressive V-6 makes 305 hp, gets 31 mpg on the highway, and starts at less than $23,000. Although the V-6 is suitable for many buyers, it's the V-8-powered GT and the supercharged Shelby GT500 that get our enthusiast blood pumping. With 412 hp and 550 hp, respectively, it's nearly impossible to keep a big, fat grin off your face-and points off your driving record-when you're behind the wheel of either of these ponies. The GT gallops to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds-not too shabby for a $30,000 car. The hot-rod GT500 does it about half a second quicker.

Despite all this new performance, the Mustang still uses one of the oldest technologies in the business: a live rear axle. But, honestly, Ford pulls it off just fine. The Mustang's nimble chassis, lighter weight, and close-ratio transmission give it a clear advantage over the heavier, less fluid Camaro on a curvy road. The Ford's cabin is much nicer, too, compared with the unattractive plastics that plague the Camaro.

This pony-car fight is certainly not over, and with the Z28 model on its way, the Chevy Camaro isn't down for the count. But we can definitively say that this round goes to the Mustang and that it is well-deserving of a 2011 Automobile Magazine All-Star award.
- Mike Ofiara, Road Test Coordinator

BASE PRICE RANGE: $22,995-$54,495
ENGINES: 3.7L V-6, 305 hp, 280 lb-ft; 5.0L V-8, 412 hp, 390 lb-ft; 5.4L supercharged V-8, 550 hp, 510 lb-ft.

[GoCougs]

December 2010 sales figures:

Camaro: 5,614
Mustang: 5,452
Challenger: 3,330

2010 sales figures:

Camaro: 81,299
Mustang: 73,716
Challenger: 36,719

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

All the Ford guys swore that the new engines would help the 'Stang outsell the Camaro....

[GoCougs]

Also, the Mustang had a tough task being a better seller as it's basically a 7-year-old model...

[SVT666]

Also, the Mustang had a tough task being a better seller as it's basically a 7-year-old model...

If only you actually knew something about the subject.  Too bad you don't.

[SVT666]

All the Ford guys swore that the new engines would help the 'Stang outsell the Camaro....

I've admitted to being wrong on that account.  Something the Troll could never do.  Better sales don't make it a better car though.

[Mustangfan2003]

Well a little later this year or early 2012 I think I'll be ready for a new car.  I might even consider an ecoboost engine over the 5.0.  Or I might just keep my car till it hits 200k miles, it's been a really good one. 

[GoCougs]

All the Ford guys swore that the new engines would help the 'Stang outsell the Camaro....

A couple even bet their happiness on it, and are now as a result of the Camaro's success absolutely miserable on teh Innernets.