2011 Ford Mustang Preview: Duratec V6, Direct Injection, and Ecoboost

Information released on the 2011 Ford Mustang contained no official engine announcements, but there are rumblings that suggest a much more powerful 3.7L Duratec V6 could replace the popular 4.0L variant. The 4.0L V6 of the 2005-2010 base model Mustang proved to be great, both stock and modified, but with the current Chevrolet Camaro offering 300hp in their base V6 models, Ford is expected to answer the challenge with their 3.7L Duratec.

The Duratec 37, as it is known within Ford Motor Company, is currently
offered in the 2010 Lincoln MKS and the Mazda CX-9, and it makes an
impressive 273 horsepower. The rumors surrounding the 3.7L V6 Duratec
finding its way into the 2011 Mustang also including ideas of adding
enough power to equalize the advantage of the base model Camaro. The
Mustang does have a slight weight advantage over the Camaro, so even in
the event that the Mustang gets the 3.7L V6 in the same form as the
Lincoln MKS, it could be pretty even in performance capabilities with a
slight disadvantage in horsepower. However, Ford has been working
intensively with direct injection on their EcoBoost engines, and should
that technology be applied to the Duratec 37, we could easily see a 300
horsepower base model Mustang – offering 40 more horsepower than the
2004 Mustang GT.

Until Ford Motor Company releases official information on the 2011 Ford
Mustang, this is all just speculation but with Auto Show season quickly
approaching, we are sure to learn soon exactly what is in store for the
2011 Mustang. If these rumors prove to be true, the 2011 Mustang will
feature the most powerful engine lineup ever offered in the long
history of the Ford Mustang.