I’m not going to make a dumb Cars and Coffee joke; instead, I’m going to just marvel at the fact that starting this fall, every new base V8 2018 Ford Mustang GT will make 460 horsepower (!!!), and accelerate to 60 in a time that—not too long ago—was exclusively reserved for supercars. Yes, let’s all just enjoy this moment.
For 2018, the Mustang GT adds 25 horsepower, meaning the base model V8 pony car, which will almost definitely start in the low-to-mid $30,000 range, now makes 460 ponies. Stock.
Advertisement
On top of that, with new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires, a fresh quick-shifting 10-speed automatic, and a new “Drag Strip Mode” that doesn’t pull torque during gear shifts, the 2018 pony can sprint to 60 MPH in—according to Ford— “less than 4 seconds.”
Advertisement
Carl Widmann, the car’s chief engineer explains the new feature:
Typically, when you shift gears, you give up time…In Drag Strip mode, the engine torque doesn’t drop when you’re shifting. You get peak engine torque and horsepower straight through thanks to our new Ford-built 10-speed transmission.
On top of that V8 goodness, the 2.3-liter turbo EcoBoost Mustang gets 30 lb-ft more torque for 2018, bringing the total to 350 (horsepower remains at 310). The four-banger also gets the 10-speed and Drag Strip Mode, and can sprint to 60 mph in under five seconds, according to Ford. That is also absurdly quick, especially for a four-cylinder Mustang.
Advertisement
Oh, and don’t forget that all new Mustangs will get Line Lock, so you can rip burnouts whenever you want without roasting your rear brakes.
Ford’s Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine started out life back in 2011 cranking out 412 horsepower, and making the predecessor’s 315 horsepower 4.6-liter modular V8 completely and utterly obsolete. Then, in 2013, Ford cranked the power up to 420 ponies by ditching some oil squirters. A couple of years later, in 2015, that number went up to 435 thanks to some cylinder head changes. Now it’s on par with a C7 Chevrolet Corvette.
Advertisement
God, it’s a good time to be a Jalop.
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
