Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford 2011 Ford Mustang V6 at the 2009 LA Auto Show - Click above for high-res image gallery The pony car wars are about one-upsmanship if nothing else. The Ford Mustang held court for years while Chevrolet and Dodge had their horses on hiatus, but times have changed. The new Camaro has been whaling on the Mustang ever since its return, beating the Ford in sales for nine months straight and offering a range engines that are at once more powerful and efficient than the Blue Oval's aging mills. Advantage: Camaro. The Mustang, however, received a nicely executed redesign for its 2010 model year and, as is Ford's way, the automaker waited another model year to introduce its new range of engines. You already know all about the return of the storied 5.0 moniker on this year's new Mustang GT. You also know that the V6 model is replacing its Civil War era 4.0-liter engine with a more powerful and efficient 3.7-liter. Powerful as in 305 horsepower, but how efficient? We didn't know before but we do now. The 2011 Ford Mustang V6 will achieve 19 miles per gallon in the city and, more noteworthy, 31 mpg on the highway. The V6 model's rating of 30 mpg highway (when paired with the six-speed auto mind you, the manual version achieves 30 mpg) is noteworthy because, well, it's 2 mpg more than the slightly less powerful 304-hp Camaro V6. Also, it's a record for being the first 300+ hp vehicle to be officially rated at 30 mpg or more. Wow, think about that. It's never been done before. Sure, the new Mustang V6 is only marginally more powerful and efficient than its Camaro counterpart, but clawing above that 30 mpg mark will no doubt get Ford's thoroughbred some extra ink in the press. Follow the jump for Ford's official press release on the matter, in which it explains a little more how those magic numbers were achieved (Spoiler: aerodynamics, super smart six-speed auto and electric power assisted steering). Gallery: LA 2009: 2011 Ford Mustang V6 [Source: Ford]Continue reading 2011 Ford Mustang V6 rated 31 mpg highway, most efficient 300+ HP car ever 2011 Ford Mustang V6 rated 31 mpg highway, most efficient 300+ HP car ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments More...
Wish I could have waited another 5 years to buy a new Stang. I'm just about to make my last payment on a 5 year loan for an '05 GT drop top with a 5-speed manual trans. I put an order for one the day after Superbowl Sunday in 2005. @ Fairlane Ford in Dearborn Mi. I ended getting mine 20 days before the release date of April 17, 2005. March will be my last payment!!
Yeah, my dad bought a 5-speed GT back in '05 and I think its amazing that the new V6 will have as much power as my dad's V8. All this happened in just 6 years too.
Yeah!.... It's hard to imagine!! But me being me, I've always been a V-8 guy.. Guess it comes from when I was a teen during the '70's. Some things ya just never grow out of.
