Recently in 2011 Category

Ford has used the SEMA Show in Las Vegas show off new products from Ford Racing in the past, and with the Motor Company being the official car manufacturer of this year's show, we can expect more excitement. One hint as to what we could see at SEMA was offered by yesterday, as Ford Racing issued a press release officially announcing the 2010 Ford Racing Boss 302R Mustang and some of the cars' specifications.

Paying homage to the success of the 1970 Boss Mustang in the racing world, the 2010 302R will be a race only model and production will be limited to just 50 units.  The 2010 Boss 302R Mustang will come in the "standard" 302R form, or a Grand-Am Homologation package is available for those intending to compete in the KONI Challenge series.  The 2010 Boss 302R has an MSRP of $79,000, and for those wanting a fully built race car, the Grand-Am prepped 302R will run you around $129,000.

Like the 1970 Boss 302, the 2010 302R will feature a 5.0L V8, but this modern 5.0L offers an "estimated" 400hp.  The real power figures are more likely to be distributed once Ford has announced the power figures for the 2011 Mustang at this year's LA Auto Show, but with the Mustang GT expected to offer around 400hp from the 5.0L Coyote V8, I hope to see GT500-like power out of this $79,000 dollar race Mustang.  The more expensive Koni Challenge Boss 302R comes with a "sealed high output race motor", and the SEMA Show could be the perfect venue for such a monster factory built race car.

The new EcoBoost 3.5L V6 engine calls on a pair of turbochargers to make an amazing 355 horsepower in the Lincoln MKS and Ford Taurus SHO. If rumors prove to be true, this technologically advanced V6 could find its way into the 2011 Ford Mustang.

Since the 2010 Mustang hit the streets, the Mustang community has been demanding more power and bigger engines.  Other than a few subtle hints during interviews, Ford has been pretty hush-hush about what engines would be introduced for 2011 to hopefully close the gap between the Mustang and the cross town rivals from GM and Dodge.  In what could be the first non-propaganda fed discussion in ages, Fox News reported that during a meeting with Ford's chief of global development, Derrick Kuzak, was quoted as saying that all of the questions about the Mustang's 2011 engine options will be answered in December at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

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.

Ford hasn't been particularly forthcoming with the public about what engine options will be present for the 2011 Mustang.  Rumors based on comments from a variety of Ford management members, including Bill Ford Jr., would lead us to believe that at some point in the near future the Mustang will be powered by a 3.7L V6 and a new 5.0L V8.  The base model will likely offer the Duratec 3.7L V6, similar to what is used in the Mazda CX-9 and the Mustang GT will feature be the long awaited return of the 5.0 V8, code named the Coyote.  Should these turn out to be the only engine options, we are looking at somewhere in the area of 273hp in the base model and around 400 in the GT - both quite a step up from the current engine options.  But what happened to the EcoBoost rumors?  Around the internet people are saying that the EcoBoost may not be finding its way into the Mustang now, but with the way Ford has touted this new engine, why is it not finding a home in their storied pony car?

Many people standing at a street corner may not know what an SVO Mustang is, but within the Mustang community the turbocharged 4-cylinder Mustangs of the 1980s are well recognized for their performance.  The EcoBoost engine could very well make a modern SVO or Turbo GT, and the 365 horsepower would nestle it nicely between the base and the GT.  Of course, it's easy to say "the base model Mustang should have 365hp instead of 210", but with the likely Coyote V8 pushing the GT up to and hopefully over the 400 horsepower mark, there is room to fit a 365 horsepower option in, without stepping on the GTs toes too much.  Not to mention, the 365 horsepower EcoBoost drivetrain found in the 2010 Taurus SHO features all wheel drive, and still gets an EPA estimated 17/25 mpg - where as the 210 hp 2010 Mustang V6 gets 18/26.