ShaneGT

The MS3 and MS6 were slow to develop at first, but it caught on and is very tunable. Shops like Cobb have been doing DI tuning for years now. They shouldnt have much of a learning curve anymore with DI tuning

Agreed, Cobb does very well with DI tuning.

Antigini-GT/CS

Cobb will make an AP because it won't be too difficult for them since they've already released one for the ST. This will open the door for them to make a lot of money so you can bet on it.

I can't wait to get my hands on one. Just looking at the released specs there are already a lot of ideas floating around in my head.

bt4

I have a MazdaSpeed3--the turbo 4 with a 6-speed manual is a fun package. I imagine, if the weight has been dropped on the new Mustang, the turbo 4 will prove to be equally as much fun, with a tremendous potential for aftermarket upgrades. Many (and many on this site) underestimate the potential of a I-4 with forced induction.

Check out the Ecoboost-4 by Mountune (the Ford-certified British tuner). They will boost your Focus ST to 271 horsepower from 247. They are also responsible for the tuned I-4 in the ST GRC, the 2L I4 that cranks 600-HP and 590 ft lbs of torque. (The motor is tuned down from 900-HP to meet the GRC specs.) It propels the Fiesta ST GRC from 0-60 in 1.9 seconds (quicker than a Bugatti Veyron). http://jalopnik.com/the-fastest-car-...d-f-1002188365

An SVT Mustang with a turbo-4 in tuned to somewhere between 500-600-HP, especially if Ford could keep the weight distribution close to 50/50, would be a screamer! (Though it would probably prove to be too expensive for production.)

AWmustang

You can't use race car engine as an example for a road car. There's no way that Ford (or anyone for that matter) could make a turbo 4 with 500 hp that would last through the warranty period let alone beyond. Those race car engines are torn down and rebuilt every couple of hundred miles. That sort of maintenance schedule isn't something the average buyer (or even the enthusiast) is likely to put up with.

Don't get me wrong, I love turbo 4's. And I'm excited about where things are headed. I mean look at what M-B did with the turbo 4 in the CLA45 AMG. But its a pretty big leap from there to 500 hp.

Dave07997S

The problem is going to be with the turbos running out of headroom. They want turbo lag to be a minimum and most of these engines run out of steam 500rpm short of their redline. Pushing them harder than what they are designed to will cause problems with impeller/turbine temps as well as cat temps. Now a lot of people would probably switch out the downpipe anyway but the issue is not going to be the long block, but the running gear of the turbo.

Dave

GT98

Well the nice thing about a turbo engine is that normally just putting a tune on the car gives a nice increase in HP. The 3.5 Ecoboost engine responds nicely just from a tune. There are a couple guys in SHO's running 12 second times in a 3700Lb+ car...not bad.

bt4

I agree with you up to a point. If you note I stated it would be too expensive to offer a 500-HP turbo 4 in a Mustang. Building something that would last beyond the warranty period would place it beyond the price point Ford would want to offer in a Mustang. But, I don't agree that no manufacturer could build such a beast. In fact Cosworth has offered up a 1.6L that approaches 300-hp/Liter and has been in talks with Subaru for a potential WRX, both on the track and for production. Rumors have been swirling that Cosworth is in talks for a production run (no company specified) of a 2.0L based off the 1.6. I believe you are correct that Ford will not go that route. But, I would not rule out someone offering up an exotic with a Cosworth 2L with considerable HP.

Ford offers a blown 5.8 with 662-hp and a warranty. (It is essentially a race motor shoehorned into a production body. It is expensive, impractical, outrageous, and a lot of fun.) It is a motor and a forced induction system that entails more complexity, and offers more than double the points of failure as a turbo-4. Drive it on a race course--flog it like you stole it and it will not last past the warranty period (that is if you don't wrap it around an immovable object earlier than that).

Yes, the Montune 4's that power the Focus ST are race-tuned motors, built to withstand maximum rev's under full throttle. They are de-tuned to race within the GRC specs. (Tweaked to the limit they generate closer to 900-HP). A motor built to withstand that kind of punishment would last well beyond the warranty period, if used for trips to the the grocery store and back as well as that brief period of acceleration when merging into traffic on the Interstate. (But where would be the fun in that?)

And here's where I agree with you that Ford won't offer such a motor. It defeats the purpose Ford is trying to achieve with the boosted 4--CAFE standards. I am certain that MPG is the prime driver behind Ford offering the Ecoboost in a Mustang. Offering a HO 4-banger would probably cause their CAFE rating to sink rather than rise. Which makes it unlikely that Ford will attempt to offer even the 360-HP of the CLA45 AMG.

But wouldn't it be a hoot if they did offer a revamped Mustang SVO with HP to match that AMG!