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Telephone: 1 877 220-9054
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2011 Ford Mustang First Impressions
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2011 Ford Mustang First Impressions
by Justin Pritchard / Auto123.com
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In case you haven’t heard, Ford’s engineers have gone a bit wild on the 2011 Mustang. The culmination of 3 years of powertrain, chassis, body and suspension development, their most recent modifications have blasted the American best-seller into a whole new world of performance.
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| The 2011 Mustang hits dealer lots soon, and it’s going to move fast-- figuratively and otherwise. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
For the first time ever, that world of performance starts with the V6-powered model. The aging four-litre powerplant has been given the boot in place of a lighter and considerably more powerful 3.7 litre unit. With a four-cam, four-valve architecture and a busload of advanced engineering goodies, the entry-engine generates 305 horsepower of the free-breathing, high-revving variety.
Despite the generous snap, Ford’s engineers gush proudly about it being the first V6 to generate 305 horsepower while turning in 35 MPG. That’s about 6.7L / 100km for us Canadians. Regular fuel, too.
A slick new system called Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) is responsible for the remarkable combination of thrust and thrift. By continually altering cam timing and engine breathing, power is dosed out on an as-requested basis. The new V6 musters enough sauce to keep pace with the outgoing 4.6-litre V8, though efficiency is maximized when drivers are gentle.
In fact, Ford says their Ti-VCT hardware works so well that they exceeded fuel-economy targets without using the use of more expensive direct-injection technology. This helped Ford keep costs down-- which helped them maintain one of Mustang’s core attributes: value.
There’s more value for the V8-powered Mustang GT too, since the promise of Ti-VCT’s improved power and reduced consumption exists here as well. The 2011 model year marks the return of the famed ‘5.0’ badge to the Mustang’s front fenders-- and the new V8 has been comprehensively engineered to become the segment’s biggest efficient-performance threat.
Super-clean emissions and highway mileage under 8L / 100km are assured. In fact, Ford’s new four-cam five-litre is about as responsible as a rip-snorting 412-horsepower, 7,000 RPM V8 engine gets. And I do mean snorting.
Ford engineers realize that a big part of the Mustang’s driving experience is its sound, and their efforts to make that sound fantastic won’t disappoint. Heck, there’s even a special throttle-activated tube that projects the sound from the intake system into the cabin. Stand on the long skinny pedal and bang off some gearshifts with the now-standard six-speed stick, and Mustang’s new heart floods the cabin with aural testosterone that’s loud and lovely.
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| The 2011 model year marks the return of the famed ‘5.0’ badge to the Mustang. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
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