I don't care for them, at least not for the sounds that they make. Although, I have to say that your comment, which inspired me to research the issue, led to new hope that a big V6 can sound good. To be honest I've never paid much attention to how the newest Z cars sound with aftermarket exhaust, primarily because I was so disappointed in their stock exhaust note that I didn't think it worth the time or effort.

After doing a little research, and hearing what more than a few 350Z's with aftermarket exhaust sound like, it appears that big V6's aren't impossible to make sing. Unfortunately, my opinion on how Nissan's engines sound in stock trim still hasn't changed. At full throttle they aren't bad, but below that they sound tinny and almost have a 'nasal' quality for lack of a better term. Just my opinion. Here's a clip of a stock 350Z for the curious so they can decide if I'm delusional or not.

http://www.youtube.com

 

watch who you're dealing with there Tex...I can inderstand that you are in the "V8 mustangs are the only ones that should exist" camp....but that has never happened. What is you beef with smaller engines as long as the one you want is offered?..I could understand you being upset if more R&D $$$ go towards offering a more power V6 instead of a mid range V8..me too...but we just have to wait and see what happens, then make our decisions when our options are out in front of us...no amount of whining is going to change whats going to happen in the next 5 years from now. Those plans have already done been made.

 

I'm convinced. Here's hoping Ford sees fit to give the 2011 Mustang a 3.5L+ V6 producing 265+hp backed by the six-speed manual, and Alfa exhaust note, that the car deserves. Give me a choice between that and a GT model packing a 400hp 5.0L V8 and I might just try to buy one of each, if finances..and the fiance....allow.

 

GM is saying with the F5 expect a 300hp V6 and 400hp+ V8 with M6/A6 transmissions, alot of GM guys are drooling over a 300 V6 Camaro vs 300 V8 Mustang (nevermind the Camaro will probably be 200 pounds heavier if not more, although the M6/A6 trans will help a bit).

 

I'll take the V8s 320ftlbs of torque vs V6s 253/273ftlbs for the MFW

 

You are living with blinders on if you think power cannot be made from smaller displacement engines. I've got a 4 cylinder 2.5L in my SVO...modified that makes near 400RWHP and gets 30mpg if I keep my foot out of it...try to get that mpg with a V8...and before you spout of with some ignorant statement to me, most of my vehicles ARE V8's.

Do some research....I believe you are uninformed here....I'm betting that more 6 cylinder mustangs were sold in 1965 and 1966 than V8's....not so during the later years but early on that was the case.

Other than that I don't see why you are getting your britches in such a wad....All I here in this thread is the sound of the Wambulance....if you don't like it then go buy something else and put your money where your mouth is.

If you can't stand it that much then become a designer and go to work for Ford and make a difference from the inside. Everyone has different tastes and it is unrealistic to think that EVERYTHING Ford is going to produce is going to make YOU happy.

 

I was told that Mazda will not share the GDI 4 banger. Since Ford doesn't completely own Mazda, they(Mazda) doesn't always have to "give-in" to Ford.
I was also told that Mark Fields still has a soft spot in his heart for his former Co. and didn't want to start any waves.
Maybe Ford could force the issue and take Mazda's engine, but there are always politics involved, and marketing strategies to consider.

 

There's a difference between "Mazda didn't want to share the engine" and "Mazda not wanting to share the engine is why it didn't happen."

 

To be honest your still leaving out the most important issue here that rebuts the idea of Ford wanting Mazda's MZR GTDi in the first place. The only reason Ford is developing the 2.0L GTDi four is to offer a similarly powerful substitute for the 3.5L V6 which offers improved fuel mileage for the trade. Since Mazda's MZR based GTDi engines can't even match the fuel economy of the existing, non VVT 3.5L V6 engines that makes any argument that Ford wanted the GTDi MZR engine for this role a bit tough to support. The reality is that a GTDi MZR powered Ford Fusion or Ford Taurus would get worse fuel economy, all else being equal, than would a model powered by the existing 3.5L V6. And this in turn means that your friend is effectively trying to argue that Ford wanted Mazda's GTDi four to fulfill a role the MZR is literally incapable of filling.

 

with the higher fuel standards coming down the road in 2020, which isn't all that far away when you consider the lead time required to design, build, and road test a new engine, it isn't hard to imagine that ford would go with a four banger simply to get a legup on meeting the tighter fuel standards.

now for the reasons they wouldn't: if the 2010 mustang is simply a warmed over version of the current platform then it's going to be hard to use the 4 cylinder and reap any benefit in fuel savings, mainly due to the weight of the car. the biggesgt single factor to better performance (fuel, acceleration, handling) is weight. if the 2010 has a curb weight of 2700/2800 pounds then you're on track for the 4 banger...but i seriously doubt the weight of the 2010 will be much reduced over the c/g.

lastly, the cost of a turbo charged engine is quite a bit more than a standard engine..the internals of a turbo motor, the extra add-ons for radiators for cooling the intake, extra oil capacity, the turbo. ford, i think, will have a hard time spending thatkind of money on a base model and still make it price competitive.


jackg
06 sts6

 

I'm more or less sold on the notion of keeping the V6 myself, but I still think that some are really underestimating what Ford is claiming these GTDi engines can muster. For example, Ford has effectively claimed that a next gen unibody Explorer developed along the lines of the Explorer America concept would knock down 25mpg highway with a 280hp/280lb-ft of torque 2.0L GTDi under the hood. Some other tweaks help here, like electric power steering and a 150lb weight loss regimen, etc, etc. But that is a 5mpg improvement in highway rating over the old 4.0L SOHC unit and most of it is due to the engine swap. And do note that the 2.0L GTDi four makes about 70more hp and 25 more lb-ft of torque, with a far flatter torque curve, than the 4.0L V6 Ford is comparing this too. That is impressive.

I do worry about the turbo six in this regard, since a six cylinder engine is relatively pricey anyway because of the complex crank, etc....adding GTDi to the thing will be expensive, at least for a while. However, I think GTDi four pots will be just fine in this regard. The four cylinder remains a relatively cheap engine to produce and the addition of GTDi shouldn't hurt it too badly compared to the V6 engines it is expected to replace.

 

Ford sells a lot of Mustangs, most are V6's. Their plan for all vehicles built in the future is to increase efficiency and weight reduction. I truly think there will be a I4 in the Mustang (base model) sometime in the near future.

I think there will also be a Duratec V6 in the near future....hopefully a 280-300 HP 3.5 DGI as an option.

I think there will be a V8 option for years to come...maybe the new 5.0 @ 400 HP.

I think before long the mainstream performance Mustang (i.e. GT) will be powered by a TT 3.5 or 3.7 @ 350 HP.

The writing is on the wall folks, gas is $4.00+ in some places in the US and rising, it cost me $44.00 to fill up my Z4 today. I remember paying .52 cents a gallon when I first started driving.

In 10 years I would bet 75% of the cars sold in the USA will be Plug-in Hybrids. We will still have our beloved Mustang even when they stop making Camaro's and Challenger's again, and they will be performance machines, no mater what they are powered by. Don't you think a 2700# car with 300+ HP will still roast the hides???

 

Yeah that will help with the M5 in the Mustang (then again all that M6/IRS and big wheels certainly will suck power, I don't know about the V6, but the V8 F5 looks to be running 245/45R20, unless GM is employing something special for the wheels to keep weight in check, thats gonna hurt acceleration)