This is my opinion, and it's free. So take it for what's worth.

Bought a new Mustang this year. Love this car. Smooth, quiet, comfy, economical, cheap to buy. Clearly the best looking car on any dealership floor on the planet. Well, anything less than $100K anyway. I love looking at it as much as I like driving it.

But, lets be honest about Mustang performance. It's lacking. And we all know it's true, even though we might not want to admit it. People like to brag about their "kills". But the truth is, the current Mustang is quickly becoming average in the performance market.

There are a number of things that need attention for track or high performance use - like brakes, weight, and balance. You need to spend some big bux to be competative. Look at the Mustang Challange car. Stripped down it's almost three times the cost of a GT. That's what it takes to make it competative.

But lets talk about the engine. It is an engineering marvel. Far above the Windsors; and the old FE's really can't hold a candle to them. OHC, 4 valves, EFI, light weight, dependable and reliable. Broad power band and pretty good torque.

BUT.... the 4.6 is quickly becoming an "also ran", or a "remember when" engine. 282 cubes just doesn't cut it. 300hp isn't true muscle car power any more; it wasn't in the 60's and early 70's, and it isn't now. When Ford had the only domestic pony car, that was fine. When you're a field of one, it's easy to come out on top. Comparing the 4.6 to a 40 year old FE is easy. But compare it the LS1. And what about the lowly GTO? Heck, even the Cadillac gets an LS6!

Now there's competition. Dodge and Chevy both are bringing big guns to the table. The Corvette's not really in the same class as the Mustang. But the Camaro, Charger, and Challenger are. Once they hit the streets in numbers, most Mustangs will not be able to compete. Ford's dominance at the drag strip is coming to an end.

I'm an old guy. I'v owned a number of big block and high torque Ford cars; still do. Loved them all. When I die my casket will probably have a blue oval on it. But the 4.6 just isn't in the same catagory. Those of you with big block cars know what I'm talking about. I can build a 600hp small block in my garage. Why can't Ford do it for < $100K?

What is Ford going to do? They're spending a great deal of effort producing limited edition high dollar cars, especially in the Shelby line. Not many of us can afford $100K for a Mustang. If I was going to spend that kind of money on a performance car, it wouldn't be a new Mustang. Look at what you can get from BMW for that money. It's coming to the point that you don't buy a Mustang for the performance.

Hopefully, Ford will step up to the power challange. The initial promise of the Modular Engine was that Ford could build multiple configurations with very little tooling change. Add or subtract cylinders. Why not a 5.4 in the Mustang? How about a 418 cubic inch V10? Just a 5.4 with 2 cylinders on the front. Now we're talking power! Look out kids in the chevy's.


But, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

I concur to some extent, but just add a supercharger to compensate if you're really feeling threatened. I'll probably do so in the next year. The only problem I see with all the new "muscle cars" is that there will be a lot a posing idiots with the lower horsepower versions of the cars tryin to stop light race. I'm not bashing people with smaller engines, its just that there will be more people on the road thinking that they are tuff stuff because they have a six cylinder camaro or challenger. Same thing happened when the old camaro was out.

 

I don't particularly disagree on any single point (except to say that the 4.6 is a 3 valve motor in the S197, not a 4 )... but I will say this: Look slightly ahead to the future, and drawn an analogy to what Chevy did... Chevy redesigned the venerable Small Block with the release of the LT-1 engines in the early 90's. They were a pretty good engine and damn high tech compared to the old SBC's... but what we really know now, is that it was just a stepping stone to the LSx series of engines, starting with the LS1, and we all know where things have gone from there.

IMO, the first modular 4.6 2 valvers were intended to be the LT1 motors of Ford... a stepping stone to better things, and testing the waters to see how an OHC V8 would be recieved. However, something happened.. it turned out to be a damned good motor in it's own right, and people latched onto them, very much unlike the LT1's. I will admit, I think ford was kinda stumbled by the good reception of this motor, and held onto it a bit too long before making any serious upgrades to it... and now are trying to play catchup. However, I do think that once the 3 valve 281(4.6) is bumped up to a 302 (5.0), your going to see a very different playing field. Remember that the 'stang, while not a lightweight in it's own right, has a couple hundred pounds of weight advantage over the Challenger/Charger and (according to what I have read) the Camaro as well.. and thats no small thing...

 

Im pretty bummed myself. For crying out loud...The Hyundai Genesis has a 4.6 that produces 375HP....WTF...and there's the 2009 infinity FX50

"This new V-8 packs a mega-punch. We saw 60 mph flash past in 5.0 seconds in our FX50S, with the quarter-mile dispatched in 13.6 seconds at 104 mph. That’s quicker than a Mustang GT through the quarter-mile, and within 0.1 second of our quickest BMW 335i"

and that's on 21' wheels.

Just couldn't bare the sight of some soccer mom with a load of groceries running neck 'n neck with me. Something wrong with that picture. Sure, they cost alot more but still...I'm in a "musclecar" I'm supposed to win, especially stock vs stock.

 

good read and worth your selling price
to make sure i received full value i read it twice
enough sarcasm from me i really do agree with ya

 

I think it's a never ending cycle among car companies. They are making faster and faster cars. Each company is trying to out do the other. First ford with it's S197 then Dodge with it' Challenger and now the Chevy Camaro. Now the onus is on Ford to improve their car, but when they do, Chevy and Dodge will counter.

 

Buy a Shelby GT500 for $45,000 and walk every stock camaro and challenger ever made. Problem solved.

 

Or just modify your car... If your a horsepower junky why would you have a stock mustang? Our S197s take very well to certain mods. The Mustang has always been a "budget" sports car. Its made for the masses not power junkies.

 

There's a reason why the Mustang continued on as the F Bodies died. Cost. Ford has used the same formula for success since '64. They've truely understood what the majority people want in a pony car, and that is decent performance options along with great looks and the ability to carry 4 people. Whine all you want about the small displacement, poor balance at the track and underwhelming performance, but Ford has it right. If you need a better performing vehicle buy a GT500.

 

I just consider it interesting that the OP has a sixxer and is complaining about GT performance and the lack there of