2011 Ford Mustang V6: The Power & the Fuel-Sipping Glory

[Onslaught]

Do it to a Grand Am and it'll fold like a taco.  It's true.  I did it once.

I use to jack up Mustangs on their side or from the front and then couldn't open the doors to pull the hood latch. I've never took a 350Z conv for a test ride. But working on them I found them to be strong.
I'd have to say one of the strongest conv I've ever had to pull the frame on was a FC RX-7. That was one strong car.

[S204STi]

Yeah, I mean I was joking there but just putting one on a four-point lift was enough to make the doors very difficult to open. 

[SVT666]

Well, I had to listen to it enough on rides and the like that I'm converted on the issue of the 350Z drop top (ha - dig that pun).

Yup, sounds just like you.  Your opinion on cars can't be changed, despite the fact that you have no personal experience with them.

[GoCougs]

Yup, sounds just like you.  Your opinion on cars can't be changed, despite the fact that you have no personal experience with them.

Why would you be so concerned about what/why others think of cars. OH RIGHT! I forgot - Mustang Jihadic Apologism by Proxy. Silly me.

[SVT666]

Why would you be so concerned about what/why others think of cars. OH RIGHT! I forgot - Mustang Jihadic Apologism by Proxy. Silly me.

You are afraid to drive these cars because you are afraid of being wrong.

[GoCougs]

You are afraid to drive these cars because you are afraid of being wrong.

Yeah, we get it - no one could POSSIBLY like the Camaro more if one has driven the Mustang.

[SVT666]

Yeah, we get it - no one could POSSIBLY like the Camaro more if one has driven the Mustang.

You have never driven the 350Z, but because a friend of yours bitched about it, you're mind can never be changed to believe it is anything other then a floppy wet noodle, despite the fact that every single person on the board with personal experience with the car says differently.  You even said as much. 

The G8 is luxurious?  Riiiiiiight.  Have you ever been in one?  It's a nice car, but it's anything but luxurious.

You refuse to drive the Camaro or Mustang, yet you "know" the Camaro is the better car despite the fact that virtually every person on this board that has actually driven both cars disagrees with you, and the fact that every magazine disagrees with you, you keep up this Camaro apologism.  Now that the Camaro is totally and completely outclassed by the Mustang in both V6 and V8 trim, you still "know" the Camaro is better. 

Maybe you should actually drive some of these cars and form your own, properly informed, opinion.  You won't do that though because you know you are wrong.  You don't want anything to actually burst this little fantasy of yours, so you find every excuse in the book not to drive them.  "Oh my buddy who promised me I could drive a Camaro was overruled by his boss"....yeah whatever Cougs.  I told you where you could drive one and you refuse to go. 

You don't know shit when it comes to cars and you keep proving it over and over again.  I feel sorry for you.

[nickdrinkwater]

No matter how powerful or economical it is, a Mustang without a V8 is just wrong.

[SVT666]

No matter how powerful or economical it is, a Mustang without a V8 is just wrong.

Which is why I will never buy a V6 Stang...no matter how much power it has.

[Nethead]

Was that minor percentage increase verified using the existing compression ratio or with hardware optimised for the capabilities of DI?  Just curious.

Either way, it'll be a good way to upgrade the current engines, and I'm glad they had the foresight to at least make room in the current design for it.

R-inge: The article--from 5.0 Mustang--did not get more specific than GDI offering only a one percent gain over port injection, and thus it didn't justify increasing the cost of a naturally-aspirated Mustang to get that one percent.  

Of course, the 3.7L TiVCT V6 and the 5.0L TiVCT V8 flow enormous air, so the efficiency of the port injection in those engines is very high to begin with.  Engines that flow less air might gain more than one percent by going to GDI--ChrisV probably knows that answer.

Yeah, it's great that they protected the heads for installing GDI later on--already the GT350 offers supercharging on the new 5.0 and Ford is apparently gonna offer three versions of the 5.0L TiVCT V8 in Australian Fords--starting at 420 HP and going up in horsepower twice from there.  w00t!!!  

Hot Rod Magazine still has the article online featuring a new-build '34 Ford with an EcoBoost 3.5L V6 dropped into it, which was re-tuned for 400 HP.  Here's an excerpt about the engine form that article:

"...The 3.5L EcoBoost is one of the most advanced engines currently offered by an American automaker. The trick piece features all-aluminum construction, dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, variable cam timing, direct fuel injection, and twin, intercooled Honeywell turbochargers. For 2010, the EcoBoost is offered in the Taurus SHO, where it is rated at 365 hp, and also in the Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex. In Ford's future, the company foresees the EcoBoost V-6 used in many of the applications that once called for a small to midsize V-8.

Technosports handled the adaptation of the EcoBoost V-6 into the '34 chassis, also fabricating the satin-finish exhaust megaphones with silencers hidden inside.Adapting this sophisticated engine to street rod use while making all that magnificent high-tech gadgetry work correctly can't be easy. Further complicating matters: While longitudinal applications are currently in the works, thus far the EcoBoost has been used only in transverse front-drive, east/west applications. The engine would have to be rotated 90 degrees and repackaged in a north/south configuration to fit in the '34 chassis.

That tricky task was ably covered by Technosports Inc. of Livonia, Michigan, another Detroit-area firm that specializes in prototype and development work for the automakers and the motorsports industry as well. Technosports relocated the turbos and charge coolers, fabricated new intake and exhaust systems, made accommodations for the Vintage Air A/C system, and hooked the whole thing up to a Tremec TKO five-speed manual gearbox. Final tuning and calibration were performed at Ford Powertrain, the mother ship, where the combination made 400 hp and 400 lb-ft on the dyno..."

[Colin]

You have never driven the 350Z, but because a friend of yours bitched about it, you're mind can never be changed to believe it is anything other then a floppy wet noodle, despite the fact that every single person on the board with personal experience with the car says differently.  You even said as much. 

The G8 is luxurious?  Riiiiiiight.  Have you ever been in one?  It's a nice car, but it's anything but luxurious.

You refuse to drive the Camaro or Mustang, yet you "know" the Camaro is the better car despite the fact that virtually every person on this board that has actually driven both cars disagrees with you, and the fact that every magazine disagrees with you, you keep up this Camaro apologism.  Now that the Camaro is totally and completely outclassed by the Mustang in both V6 and V8 trim, you still "know" the Camaro is better. 

Maybe you should actually drive some of these cars and form your own, properly informed, opinion.  You won't do that though because you know you are wrong.  You don't want anything to actually burst this little fantasy of yours, so you find every excuse in the book not to drive them.  "Oh my buddy who promised me I could drive a Camaro was overruled by his boss"....yeah whatever Cougs.  I told you where you could drive one and you refuse to go. 

You don't know shit when it comes to cars and you keep proving it over and over again.  I feel sorry for you.

 

There are more than a few armchair experts here who think they know lots about cars they've never driven.

The only way to form your own (valid) conclusion is to test the cars yourself. Sometimes I agree with the consensus of the motoring press, and sometimes I don't. Anyone who's owned 3 x Alfa and 3 x Audi and no BMWs and been very happy with every choice, as I have done, could only have done this from their own judgment even when it flew in the face of so called perceived wisdom. If I had believed the journalists, I'd be on my 6th BMW by now, but in the era when there are few truly bad cars available, it is more a case of balancing the strengths of a car against your personal priorities, and what is important to you (me) may not be quite the same as what matters to the journos............ living with a car (and paying for it) for years is very different from borrowing one for a few days of fun, and could well lead to some very different conclusions.   

[Raza]

Which is why I will never buy a V6 Stang...no matter how much power it has.

I don't have that problem.  But I'd be happier if it were a turbo.

I say shove the SHO engine into it and call it the new SVO. 

[S204STi]

Hey, good call there Raza.

[MX793]

Which is why I will never buy a V6 Stang...no matter how much power it has.

This is where I'm torn.  Part of my revulsion towards a non-V8 'Stang is because, SVO excluded, all of the non-V8 models of the past were lame efforts.  They sold almost exclusively on style.  They didn't handle that great and the motors were more at home in an old pickup than a sporting car.  On top of that, V8 rumble > V6 howl in the vast majority of cases.

On the flip side, the new V6 Mustang, when fitted with the Performance Package, is apparently a more adept handler than the V8.  It pulls more lateral Gs and the remarks have been that it's more balanced.  And it's certainly not short on power in its own right.

[S204STi]

It's basically the GT of last year with less weight over the nose...  It would be hard not to take it seriously, IMO.

[SVT666]

This is where I'm torn.  Part of my revulsion towards a non-V8 'Stang is because, SVO excluded, all of the non-V8 models of the past were lame efforts.  They sold almost exclusively on style.  They didn't handle that great and the motors were more at home in an old pickup than a sporting car.  On top of that, V8 rumble > V6 howl in the vast majority of cases.

On the flip side, the new V6 Mustang, when fitted with the Performance Package, is apparently a more adept handler than the V8.  It pulls more lateral Gs and the remarks have been that it's more balanced.  And it's certainly not short on power in its own right.

Oh I get what you're saying and I wouldn't criticize anyone for buying the new V6 Stang...but for me, a Mustang has to have that V8 rumble.  There's something really not right about a Mustang that doesn't rumble.

[S204STi]

That distinctive Mustang V8 sound is truly music to my ears as well.

[GoCougs]

You have never driven the 350Z, but because a friend of yours bitched about it, you're mind can never be changed to believe it is anything other then a floppy wet noodle, despite the fact that every single person on the board with personal experience with the car says differently.  You even said as much. 

The G8 is luxurious?  Riiiiiiight.  Have you ever been in one?  It's a nice car, but it's anything but luxurious.

You refuse to drive the Camaro or Mustang, yet you "know" the Camaro is the better car despite the fact that virtually every person on this board that has actually driven both cars disagrees with you, and the fact that every magazine disagrees with you, you keep up this Camaro apologism.  Now that the Camaro is totally and completely outclassed by the Mustang in both V6 and V8 trim, you still "know" the Camaro is better. 

Maybe you should actually drive some of these cars and form your own, properly informed, opinion.  You won't do that though because you know you are wrong.  You don't want anything to actually burst this little fantasy of yours, so you find every excuse in the book not to drive them.  "Oh my buddy who promised me I could drive a Camaro was overruled by his boss"....yeah whatever Cougs.  I told you where you could drive one and you refuse to go. 

You don't know shit when it comes to cars and you keep proving it over and over again.  I feel sorry for you.

LOL - and because I like the Camaro better than the Mustang.

Seriously, it's just the Internets...

[SVT666]

LOL - and because I like the Camaro better than the Mustang.

Seriously, it's just the Internets...

No.  You have unchangeable opinions about cars you've never driven and refuse to drive.  There are other cars I mentioned besides the Camaro and Mustang.

[Vinsanity]

Which is why I will never buy a V6 Stang...no matter how much power it has.

I'd usually be inclined to agree, but I do have a confession to make. If ever the need arose for me to replace my car with something cheaper, a used V6 Mustang convertible would be high on my list. Cheap, plentiful, affordable to operate. The new V6 puts my mind at ease in that I won't have to sacrifice in ending up with a shitty motor in the name of affordability. God bless America (and Canada) 

[nickdrinkwater]

I got owned

Edited for accuracy.

[SVT666]

Edited for accuracy.

[Nethead]

From www.autoblog.com:

Inside Line runs the numbers on 2011 Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro V6 models
by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Apr 7th, 2010 at 12:31 PM

Before your palms get all sweaty, let's be clear ? the boys and girls at Inside Line have put the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro LT and the base 2011 Ford Mustang toe-to-toe. This isn't the big bad SS vs GT throwdown the world has been clamoring for, but that's fine by us. Both models dish out over 300 horsepower, and when it comes right down to it, there will be more V6 engines battling it out in high school parking lots that V8s.

So how'd they do? The big-boned Camaro V6, complete with its 3,790-pound curb weight, managed to dish out a 6.1-second 0-60 mph run, a 14.3-second quarter-mile time and .86 g on the skidpad. Coming down from 60 mph, the Bowtie delivered a stopping distance of 111.78 feet. Those are all solid numbers, to be sure, but they don't quite stack up to what Ford brought to the table with its pony.

The Mustang is a considerably smaller car in nearly every way, and right off the bat, it has 282 fewer pounds to lug around. With a curb weight of 3,508 pounds, the Mustang clicked off a 5.6-second 0-60 mph sprint, a 13.9-second quarter-mile and .91 g on the skidpad. Can you say "smoked?" Throw in 60-0 mph in 103 feet, and it's clear Ford wanted to ensure that the 'Stang not only puts the hurt on its arch rival from General Motors, but it's also clear that the Blue Oval was seeking to build a solid all-around performer.

Before the Chevrolet faithful start clamoring about price, it should be noted that both cars fall within $1,000 of each other. The General clearly has a lot of work to do before the 2011 models roll out, but we have it on good authority that their engineers are hard at work. Fortunately for enthusiasts, this clearly isn't the end-all, be-all... it's just the latest volley.

[Eye of the Tiger]

From www.chevy.com


Camaro V6 whoops some Mustang ass
by Jimi Hendrix (RSS feed) on Apr 9th, 2013 at 79:51 AM

Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck.

Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck.

Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck.

[SVT666]

Oh, the horror. I have an opinion (READ: EVERYONE KNOWS THE MUSTANG IS BETTER THAN THE CAMARO).

Sorry, dude, your Internetry is simply fraudulent. Get over the fact that not despite your prediction and efforts the Camaro not only didn't fail but pwned the market I prefer it versus the Mustang.

Fraudulent?  How so?

[GoCougs]

No.  You have unchangeable opinions about cars you've never driven and refuse to drive.  There are other cars I mentioned besides the Camaro and Mustang.

Oh, the horror. I have an opinion (READ: EVERYONE KNOWS THE MUSTANG IS BETTER THAN THE CAMARO).

Sorry, dude, your Internetry is simply fraudulent. Get over the fact that not despite your prediction and efforts the Camaro not only didn't fail but pwned the market and that I also prefer it to the Mustang without having ever driven it.

In short, BUCK UP.

[SVT666]

Oh, the horror. I have an opinion (READ: EVERYONE KNOWS THE MUSTANG IS BETTER THAN THE CAMARO).

Sorry, dude, your Internetry is simply fraudulent. Get over the fact that not despite your prediction and efforts the Camaro not only didn't fail but pwned the market and that I also prefer it to the Mustang without having ever driven it.

In short, BUCK UP.

You prefer the styling then, because you certainly can't prefer the way it drives since you've never driven either car.

How about the 350Z then?  How can you possibly have an informed opinion about the stiffness of the car when your only source of info is a friend who wasn't happy?  You even went so far as to say your opinion on that can't be changed.  WTF?

In short...fuck it.  You got owned and the only person who doesn't know it is you.

[GoCougs]

You prefer the styling then, because you certainly can't prefer the way it drives since you've never driven either car.

How about the 350Z then?  How can you possibly have an informed opinion about the stiffness of the car when your only source of info is a friend who wasn't happy?  You even went so far as to say your opinion on that can't be changed.  WTF?

In short...fuck it.  You got owned and the only person who doesn't know it is you.

I'm sure you're a nice guy and all but not only are you fraudulent you are a coward.

[Nethead]

From www.chevy.com
Camaro V6 whoops some Mustang ass
by Jimi Hendrix (RSS feed) on Apr 9th, 2013 at 79:51 AM

Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck.

Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck.

Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck. Camaro V6 wins the world. Mustangs suck.

Pwnd.

Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
by John McElroy (RSS feed) on Apr 7th 2010 at 6:02 PM

COUNT THE POUNDS, NOT JUST THE PONIES

Gearheads the world over have always talked in terms of horsepower. The bigger the number, the better we like it. The type of engine and its output are always one of the first statistics covered in any test drive or car review, because we want to know!

But our fixation on horsepower is kind of a meaningless metric. Just because a car has a big engine, or big output, doesn't necessarily mean it will perform well. Conversely, a car with a small engine and modest output can actually be a blast to drive.

It all depends on how much weight that engine has to lug around. And that's why, as enthusiasts, we should be looking at the power-to-weight ratio of a vehicle to get an idea of its potential performance. That is far more revealing than knowing the horsepower or torque.

It's an easy calculation. All you have to do is look up the curb weight of a car and divide it by the horsepower that the engine puts out. Or if you speak metric, you can divide kilowatts into kilograms.

I know you purists out there will deride me for calling this a power-to-weight ratio, instead of weight-to-power. But saying "power-to-weight" just trips off the tongue more naturally. Besides, it's easier to remember how many pounds an engine has to lug around, rather than trying to figure out fractions of a horsepower per pound.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. The 2011 Ford Mustang with the new 3.7 liter V6 is rated at 305 horsepower, one more horsepower than the 304 hp that comes out of the Chevy Camaro's 3.6-liter V6. One more horsepower, you might say, who cares?

Well, the base Mustang is nearly 300 pounds lighter than a comparable Camaro. That means the Mustang has to lug around 11.3 pounds per horsepower, compared to the 12.3 pounds in the Camaro. Or, to write it as a ratio, the Mustang is at 1:11.3, while the Camaro is at 1:12.3. That is a significant difference, and indicates the Mustang will easily blow the doors off the Camaro despite having only one more pony under the hood.

Here's another example. Which vehicle would you think accelerates faster? The Ram Power Wagon with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that pumps out 383 horsepower? Or a Nissan Altima hybrid with 198 horsepower (combined with its electric motor)? According to Motor Trend, the hoary Power Wagon takes 8.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles an hour. The milquetoast Altima hybrid does it in 7.1 seconds. See? It's about power-to-weight, not raw horsepower.

My staff put together a simple little chart that lets you estimate the probable 0-60 time a vehicle might generate, based on its power-to-weight ratio. It sure is a lot better predictor than just knowing the horsepower.

We're never going to give up talking about horsepower. It's just ingrained in our psyche. But by adding power-to-weight ratios to our discussions we can gain a lot more insight into the cars we're talking about.

[Vinsanity]

I know you purists out there will deride me for calling this a power-to-weight ratio, instead of weight-to-power. But saying "power-to-weight" just trips off the tongue more naturally. Besides, it's easier to remember how many pounds an engine has to lug around, rather than trying to figure out fractions of a horsepower per pound.

I somewhat prefer the British metric of hp/ton.