Anyone who thinks a heavier V6 is going to win over a lighter v8 just because of a horsepower rating alone... needs to give their head a shake.

It'll run 13s if its got a tailwind...heading downhill....towards a magnet factory...

After reading even more on that site, I don't seriously think those guys have a clue at how much distance a half a second is at that track, let alone a full second (not by much....pfff)

 

 

Why not? Both the principle competitors have 400 Hp V8s on tap and Ford's currently doing 315+ with an aging 4.6 V8. Why is a a new DOHC 5L V8 using modern tech so hard to believe at 400 hp? This isn't just a quick re-tune of the 4.6, its a multi-year program to create a new lightweight V8 with a big, red target circle around "400+ hp."

BTW, even if the 2010 GT creeps over the 3600 lb line, it will still be over 300lbs LESS than the Camaro SS.

 

Ford hasn't produced a 400hp N/A engine. I think a lot of people are skeptical given Ford's history. Once the engine is produced and is dyno-verified at 400hp it will get a huge from me.

 

Yep. Gotta see it.

 

I sure hope well get a 3500lb gt with a 400hp 5.0l. I dont feel its to much to ask/hope for with all the new advancements, i just hope ford will actually do it. If this is the case, well have more than a nice platform to start stomping on challenger and camaros. lol Is it just me or does it seem like the 2010 will have more options to choose from? I hope this is the case as well......

 

I remember someone mentioning the car being targeted at or below the 3600lb mark
Which is still over 250lbs less than the closest Camaro SS

 

yeah i really cant wait for the official specs to come out. the bow tie boys are already celebrating that their V6 has the same peak hp output as our V8. I cant wait to hear their reactions when our new engines get here. As long as ford doesnt screw us over and hold off the new stuff one more year.

I can see the thread title now "ZOMG...'10 Mustangt GT with 5.0L 400hp V8 at 3500lbs for $27k, we're in trouble.."

 

Not if the Stang is still sporting SRA they won't.

 

Right now the prevailing numbers indicate a 2011 Mustang GT with a hp rating not below 400hp from a 5.0L, PFI V8, a six speed manual, and a maximum curb weight not to exceed 3650lb in an absolutely loaded coupe. Other niceties, like torque rating, are still a little fuzzier.

That said, when the 400hp V8 does show I think the knock out blow for Ford could be, and hopefully will be, the price. By all accounts Ford makes a nice chunk of change on this particular car. From the start we saw the emphasis on profit when the IRS was axed to improve profitability, and Ford even released the car bragging that it was cheaper to build than the outgoing SN95 model. Then we went through a few 'unexpected' price increases over the course of the S197's first year on the market , a move Ford was able to make due to strong demand. Nobody outside the halls of FoMoCo's Dearborn offices likely knows with any real accuracy what Ford makes on this particular car, but everything that we do know about it says that it is likely well above average.

In light of that, it does lead one to wonder if Ford could simply hold the line on pricing, and potentially deliver us a 2011GT like the one above for about the same amount of money as we are paying now. Given the distinct possibility that the Camaro is going to be a genuinely 'premium priced' offering the possibility of a 400hp, 6-speed Mustang GT which undercuts the price of an SS by a larger margin than expected could seem like a very good move to a smart marketing guy like Jim Farley. Just a thought.

 

Perhaps not during tight and hard cornering, however it will outperform the Camaro in a straight line at the strip.

 

Maybe. We'll have to wait and see on that. But since most of us spend our days driving around in real world conditions (where corners and broken pavement are routinely encountered), I'm not sure straight line prowess is all that much to brag about.

 

you also should be driving the speed limit in real world conditions, so taking corners with irs or a sra shouldn't make much of a difference either.

These are muscle cars, straight line performance is what they are all about. If you want the mustang to be more than that then I'm afraid you are expecting too much. (Not that its a bad thing to have a better handling car, but obviously it is not a priority on Ford's or the majority of buyers' list.)

 

New Camaro with 422 HP for 3900lbs = 108 HP pro 1000 lbs
so 2010/11 Stang with 3500lbs needs "only" 378 HP to have 108HP pro 1000 lbs

I don't believe the new 5.0 will have 400 HP it will be about 370/375...
So Ford can maintain 100HP difference to the base Stang 3.5 V6!

 

Put it to you this way, I have a tendancy to believe the people 'in the know'
more than I believe what people speculate or think it'll have

That's where/why I'm throwing my hat that way, and not the other

 

Why is a IRS asking for too much? A IRS is vastly superior driving the speed limit for obvious reasons. How about encountering mid-corner bump? The roads here in Chicago are terrible and my Mustang gets light in the rear. An IRS wouldn't do that.

 

Things are changing real quickly at Ford right now. The focus is on building fuel effiecent cars and keeping the doors open. The 5.0 launch is nearly 2 years away, so anything is up in the air. I tend to be skeptical of the 400hp claims. Ford has never produced a production modular with that type of power. I also remember the 99 SVT Cobra.

 

I'd throw the 2000 Cobra R's 385hp in the ballpark of 400hp. And while the '99 SVT engine problems were a blackeye, I think subsequent model years have restored the faith. Heck that was almost 10 years ago.

 

crate motor makes 400

 

News just in today that Ford is canceling plans for a Fusion GT model slated for next year. This model was supposed to have AWD, big brakes and an eco-boost V6 tuned for power. Insiders were calling it "a poor man's Audi S4". Ford says the reason for axing the Fusion GT is because Ford's top priority for the Eco-Boost engine family at this time is to tune for MPG over power.... I'm just hoping this doesn't end up happening to the next Mustang. One thing for sure GM isn't afraid to bring out it's big guns on it's initial launch. The next Camaro V6 is making 300HP! C'mon, Ford don't do this to us again!