Ford has been extremely cagey about revealing the details of the new Mustang’s power, forcing us to make do with estimates. The waiting is finally over, however, and we can say the news is good – if not entirely surprising.
First off the big enchilada: the 5.0-liter V8 that has been synonymous with pony car punch since the 1980s. Thanks to a new crankshaft, upgraded valves, new bearings, and new block casting techniques, among other improvements, the big, angry Coyote V8 now puts out 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. That’s bigger improvement than expected over the last generation’s 420 hp and 390 torques. Given that Ford expects at least marginally improved fuel economy, this is actually an impressive achievement.
This boost in power will help deliver better performance, despite a slight increase in curb weight of 87 pounds with the manual transmission – for a total of 3705 pounds – and 54 extra lbs for the automatic. In some ways, this marginal increase in weight is the best news about the Mustang. A significant weight bump would have off-set the handling gains from the all-new, fully independent rear suspension.
Despite the legendary status of a V8 Mustang, the most interesting engine option of the 2015 Mustang is the 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder. According to the newly released figures, the little turbocharged motor is good for 310 hp and 320 torque.
The EcoBoost makes use of a low inertia, twin-scroll turbo with a nearly flat torque curve, delivering that impressive torque figure almost all the way from idle to redline. In fact, Scott Makowski, EcoBoost engineering manager, says, “This EcoBoost engine delivers the healthy output Mustang drivers expect, regardless of the car’s speed.” I am very excited to try this one for myself.
The only powertrain option that remains unchanged is the V6; it still delivers 300 hp and 280 lb-ft. It may not be thrilling, but it is still plenty of power to make the average Mustang driver happy. For the price, it is nearly impossible to beat.
So now that we know the numbers, all that’s left is to take it for a spin.
