Recently in Industry News Category

The popularity of the specialty and project Mustang at SEMA is a tried and true tradition. Here is a slideshow of what we saw, including the Ford Mustang and a Ford GT.

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.

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.

The Mustang GT has become the general performance model, which has been overshadowed a bit by the Cobra and GT500 over the years, but the Cobra production numbers are low, and the price is high in comparison to the GT.  But what if the 2010 Mustang GT was the mid-level full production package, with another trimline between the GT and the GT500?  

We all know how much Ford likes to relive vintage Mustang trimlines, especially on the classically styled S197 models. We also know how much Ford loves to celebrate anniversaries.  Combine those two things that are clear to see with a few popular rumors, such as the return of the 5.0 engine with 400 horsepower to the Mustang, and the return of the "Boss" moniker.  Boss Mustangs are currently a far cry from what they used to be, being little more than a rarely seen appearance/performance packages available through the aftermarket, but still the rumors have been that the "next" Mustang will be a Boss.

There were tons of rumors around a revamped drivetrain lineup for the 2010 Ford Mustang refresh, but upon the release enthusiasts found the same 4.6L 3V, and while the 15 horsepower gain is something, is it going to be enough? 


The 2010 Camaro will offer 300 (V6 base), 400 (SS, auto), and 422 (SS, manual), in a car that will tip the scales in the area of 3700 for the base on 3900 for the SS.  The current Challenger makes 250 (SE), 372 (R/T auto), 376 (R/T manual) and 425 (SRT-8) horsepower, and we are all well aware of the weight issue plaguing the Dodge lineup, so they will need the extra power to keep up, and we will likely soon see if Dodge has anything planned for the Challenger engine lineup.