Stock 2018 Ford Mustang GT Runs 11.83 Quarter Mile

The 2018 Ford Mustang GT fastback with 10-speed automatic transmission and GT Performance Pack is roughly a second quicker than the 2017 models.

When Ford Motor Company announced that the 2018 Mustang GT would offer 460 horsepower and 420lb-ft of torque from the retuned 5.0-liter V8, we knew that it would be quicker than the 2017 Mustang GT. When you take into account the new 10-speed automatic transmission and the GT Performance Pack with 3.55 gears, the 2018 model should be quite a bit quicker than 2017 models, but how much different would a bit more power, stickier tires and steeper gearing really help?

Well, based on testing performed by the folks at Hot Rod Magazine, these improvements make the 2018 Ford Mustang GT roughly a second quicker than the 2017 models in a standing quarter mile.

2017 Versus 2018

Depending on the media outlet, most writers who tested the 2017 Ford Mustang GT found that it ran in the 12.70 to 12.90 range. The quickest times were recorded with the 5.0-liter V8 offering 435 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, generally with the 6-speed automatic transmission.

The 2018 Mustang GT has 35 more horsepower and 20 lb-ft more torque, but far more importantly, the new Ford muscle car has a quick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission, an adaptive suspension system, and the new Drag Strip driving mode.

We knew that these additions and changes would make the 2018 Mustang GT considerably quicker in the quarter mile, but most people expected it to run in the low-12s. Even at 12.00, a drop of seven-to-nine tenths of a second would be significant, but it turns out that the new Mustang is even quicker than we expected.

Hot Rod Runs the 2018 GT

The team from Hot Rod Magazine took a 2018 Ford Mustang GT to Orlando Speedworld to see what the new car would run in the quarter mile. Their test car was fitted with the 10-speed automatic transmission, the MagneRide suspension system and the GT Performance Pack, meaning that it was also fitted with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S that were designed specifically for this Mustang.

On their first run down the track, the 2018 Mustang GT ran an 11.947 at 119.25 miles per hour by launching at 1,500 rpm. On the second run, they launched the car at 2,000 rpm and it ran an 11.898, and when they increased the launch RPM to 2,200, the time dropped to 11.868.

After two runs with shaky starts that results in 11.9X runs, the team made one more pass launching at 2,000 and the 2018 Mustang GT ran its best number of the day. With a 60-foot time of 1.881, the new Ford muscle car laid down an 11.835 at 119.51 miles per hour.

Now, it should be noted that these runs were made in relatively ideal conditions. It was 57 degrees at Speedworld and the density altitude was “only a few feet above sea level”, so these results may not be typical in other regions, but for those racers who run at or near sea level, the 2018 Mustang GT with the 10-speed automatic transmission is an 11-second car.1/2

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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