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When Ford launched the revised Mustang last year, we were pretty bummed to learn that there wasn't a new power plant to go along with the improved aesthetic. At the 2009 LA Auto Show, this inequity has been rectified with a new 3.7-liter Duratec V-6 that boosts engine output to 305 horsepower while raising fuel economy to an estimated 30 mpg on the highway. For the first time ever, a V-6 Mustang is nothing to be ashamed of.
We've already taken a look at how the Duratec achieves such power and economy through a combination of weight and friction reduction, along with a new variable valve timing system. Spinning the crank to the tune of 305 horsepower means that the Mustang is now more powerful than the Chevrolet Camaro (304 horsepower). Of course, a one pony gap isn't much to write home about, but bragging rights are bragging rights.
Along with the new heart, the Mustang receives a few aero tweaks to the front end and undercarriage that will likely be invisible to all but the most diehard 'Stang lovers. Revised spring rates and a new thicker rear anitroll bar also help the Mustang V-6 to handle slightly better, but an optional Performance Package adds the suspension and stability control programming of the Mustang GT, bringing the V-6 model dangerously close to the V-8 in terms of performance--at least, until the new GT is revealed at the Detroit Show in January.
Check out our gallery of the 2011 Mustang V-6 at the 2009 LA Auto Show.
Yesterday's clip was all about some blazing hot custom made Ford Mustangs making their presence felt at the 2009 SEMA Show last week in Las Vegas. Chevrolet reportedly also got in on the act with pimpin' out Camaros a plenty for SEMA insiders and car enthusiasts alike. Well, if you're thinking Dodge didn't have something similar up their sleeves, then like Judas Priest says "you've got another thing coming."
Today's Web video features Edward Loh from Motortrend.com gushing over some flashy custom 2009 Dodge Challengers, and with damn good reason. These Challengers are spectacular to look at, and a hot green convertible in particular is given a lot of camera time for its blingtastic wheels and 560HP V-8 engine. Roughly half way through the video, we get to scope a red Challenger that's been infused with a Viper V-10 engine and all sorts of custom options built in. Anyone who thinks that modern American muscle cars aren't something to get excited about should probably think again.
Earlier this week, we took a quick glance at a few of the many production and concept cars making their debuts at the 2009 SEMA Show last week at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Well, today's video needs little explanation, simply because I don't have much extra information to give you. This Web clip shows off four nice customized Ford Mustangs that were exhibited at the most recent SEMA Show in Vegas, and really, this video is just a lot of nice eye candy for Mustang enthusiasts. Observe...
This video is more or less a commercial for Stage 3 Motorsports and TheMustangNews.com. Stage 3 Motorsports specializes in building custom Ford Mustangs and is also a supplier of Mustang engines and components. TheMustangNews.com boasts that it is "the Web authority for Mustang and Ford News," and its home page has profiles and reviews of several different Mustangs and Ford products that were on display at the 2009 SEMA Show. It's not the most intellectually stimulating Web clip you'll ever see, but if you just enjoy seeing some pimped-out custom Mustangs, then you will be more than satisfied.
This last week saw yet another big auto show in the form of the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show ran from November 2 to Friday November 6, and boy, was there a ton of eye candy for us car enthusiasts. However, the SEMA Show was not open to the public--only auto industry insiders were allowed inside these doors full of what SEMA refers to as "automotive specialty products." This video is a teaser of some of the many automotive delights that were on display at this year's event.
Here we go with another quality highlight video from the folks at Inside Line courtesy of Edmunds.com. This highlight reel features Camaros galore, plenty of Ford mods, and the stateside debut of the $375,000 Lexus LFA. Other notable vehicles include the Hyundai Genesis (with the midcar engine), Kia's first foray into racecars, and the Brooks & Dunn sponsored Toyota Tundra with an onboard barbecue grill--yummy.
As I am currently putting together this web video blog, I am overlooking the beautiful hills and horizon of the unique American city known as San Francisco. So given this week's blog theme and my current city of residence I found it wholly appropriate to pay tribute to another of my favorite American muscle car classics, the timeless Ford Mustang GT...
The Ford Mustang has a rich 40 year history in American culture. The Mustang's humble origins were that of a "secretary" car that was transformed into a performance vehicle by racing designer Carroll Shelby. Since the late '60's the Mustang has become renowned as a world wide sports car staple. This video here features a modified 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 in action as driven by an American bad ass in his own right - the inimitable Steve McQueen. This car chase scene comes from the 1968 action flick "Bullitt" which is filmed on the streets of the San Francisco bay area. Interspersed with the car chase are stills of a Highland Green Ford Mustang GT fastback which gives the lucky audience a closer look at the exquisite interior and exterior of this classic automobile. Although Ford never produced a "Bullitt" edition of the Mustang, this particular make of Mustang is almost synonymous with the movie of the same name.
You know, I'm a big fan of Mustangs, both past and present. They're the classic American muscle car. But I'm also a fan of the Nissan Z series (my favorite model being the 300ZX, but I think they're all pretty sweet) as it's a fun, semisporty Japanese cruising machine. While I was searching for video for this week's blog series dedicated to my favorite cars, I found a video that had not just one but two of my fave rides--the Mustang and the Nissan 370Z. So here it is...an in depth look at recent editions of these storied automobiles.
This video from Edmunds.com compares a couple of the newest editions of the Ford Mustang and Nissan 370Z in terms of engine size, acceleration time, interior space, and pricing. As the video points out, the cars are very comparable in nearly every way--including cost. While I do prefer the old school makes of these cars (I prefer '60s Mustangs and early '90s Nissan Zs), both of these cars are reasonably economical, powerful and still stylish in the new millennium.
This 2007 Ford Mustang has been converted to an electric vehicle by start-up Plug-in Motors.
(Credit: Plug-in Motors)A fully electric passenger vehicle from Ford is still a couple years away, but in the mean time, Plug-In Motors --a Missouri-based start up-- has been developing the process and technology to convert existing Mustangs and F150 trucks their current conventional powertrain to one that's all-electric.
But the cost of this environmentally conscious move doesn't come cheap. These comprehensive conversions can cost $75,000 for a Mustang or F150 with an 85-mile range or $125,000 for a 200-mile range.
The high price tag is a result of the top-of-the-line components used by Plug-in Motors, says CEO Kurt Neutgens, who spent 17 years as engineering manager at Ford. The powertrain parts are sourced from the same company that Telsa uses, and the selected batteries are expected to last approximately 200,000 miles for the 85-mile range conversion and 400,000 miles for the 200-mile range conversion. The company's electric motors will last approximately 1 million miles, Neutgens claims, and the regenerative braking is affixed to the accelerator, which extends the life of the brakes.
These durable components don't come cheap, and Neutgens is hoping economies of scale kick in soon. But in the mean time, you have to start somewhere, he says.
Closing the affordability gap are state and federal tax credits, he points out. Colorado grants an 85 percent tax break on the cost of conversions, and Oklahoma grants a 50 percent tax break. Factor in the $7500 federal tax credit, and the cost to convert a Mustang or F150 is reduced to $14k and $28k respectively.
That means that the payback can be less than 50,000 miles at $3 per gallon of gasoline, and even sooner if fuel prices rise in the near future. Neutgens maintains a list of many of the electric and plug-in vehicle tax break incentives on his website.
For early adopters who can't wait for Ford to roll out an all-electric product of their own, he's arranged partnerships with three Ford dealerships in Colorado and Oklahoma willing to sell and service his converted vehicles.
Source: Cleantech Group
LOS ANGELES--The 2010 Ford Mustang is better in almost all respects--and the venerable sports coupe will need every bit of that improvement to compete in a segment now bursting with revived contenders.
The re-engineered and restyled Mustang goes on sale this spring with an updated exterior and interior.
"We know this segment, we know this customer, and we know how to deliver," said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. "This whole vehicle has been wrapped a lot tighter."
With the resurrected Chevrolet Camaro about to go on sale and the Dodge Challenger redesigned less than a year ago, Ford drew on its 45-year track record in the muscle car market to develop the 2010 Mustang. Changes were more extensive than initially planned.
But the incoming competitors have some advantages that will put the revamped Mustang to the test.
... Read more
As popular online as in the real world, the Ford Mustang has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times in The Sims 2.
(Credit: Electronic Arts)Car manufacturers may be having a tough time moving vehicles off the showroom floor this year, but Ford is crushing it online. Granted, it's because they're giving away free vehicles to enhance characters in The Sims video game.
Players of The Sims 2 with the Nightlife expansion pack have been downloading free Ford vehicles since 2007. To date, there's been more than 5.7 million downloads of the Ford-branded autos, with 1.5 million of them being the iconic Ford Mustang (red with white racing stripes). That's seven times more Mustangs than Ford has sold in the last two years.
Marketing-wise, it was an obvious move by Ford. Branded vehicles was the most popular request from males and second most popular request from females. The Ford Mustang was the number one requested vehicle, according to Brian Bos, Senior Vice President of Mindshare Team Detroit, which oversaw the development of Ford's vehicles for The Sims.
Ford debuted the Fusion in The Sims videogame six months before it was released in the real world.
(Credit: Electronic Arts)Ford saw this demand as the perfect social media marketing opportunity. In the Sims videogame, Ford has a store in the Exchange, an online marketplace, where players can download cars for free, such as the Fusion, Edge, and Escape Hybrid. It's also a way players can "test drive" new models. Ford debuted the Focus in The Sims six months before it was released in the real world.
The video game versions of the cars are created using the same CAD drawings that engineers use to build the vehicles. However, the electronic editions are slightly stripped down to fit in the gaming market. Bos says that for the most part, the proportions are accurate and fairly representative of the cars in the real world.
Sims characters can get in and out of car, and the radios play Sims products. Ford eliminated some things like the engine and other power train components, so the cars theoretically won't break down. But they don't actually drive the cars. Characters use the cars to get from one place to another in The Sims world by typing a destination, but players can't actually steer the vehicles.
No new cars are planned for the Sims 2, says Bos. However, Ford may be doing something with Electronic Arts for The Sims 3, which will be released in late June. Maybe they'll debut their first electric vehicle there?
The 2010 Mustang has been re-engineered and restyled--the pony car's first major change since the 2005 model.
"This car is a modern interpretation of the Mustang heritage," Doug Gaffka, the Mustang's chief designer, said at a media briefing this month in Dearborn, Mich. "That is what we want to get across to everyone."
The 2010 message also is about refinement in terms of ride, handling, steering, braking, vibration and noise level -- and especially the look and feel of the Mustang's interior, a hot-button issue with some Mustang enthusiasts.
"It is about upgrading materials, craftsmanship. There is real aluminum on the instrument panel. The fit and finish is so much better," said Gaffka.
For example, the new center console flows up to the edge of the redesigned instrument panel, engineered to look as if the elements are one piece.
The 2010 Mustang line has three models: a coupe, a coupe with a glass roof and a convertible. All the sheet metal except for the fastback roof is new.
The car's front styling features new headlamps and grille, lowered fascias and fenders, and a raised power dome hood, collectively designed to create "a very sort of sinister look," says George Saridakis, senior exterior designer.
There also is a lot more shape on the body side, said Gaffka. "We tucked everything in, wrapped it in tighter to the components."
Ford's Americas President Mark Fields touts the 2010 Mustang, which goes into production late in the first quarter.
(Credit: Fred Prouser/Reuters)Lower beltline
One striking change is that the car's beltline was lowered.
"I think that lets the car settle on its rear wheels and give it the look that it wants to leap and move forward," said Gaffka.
Overall, the 2010 Mustang is more aerodynamic. The V-8-powered GT coupe has a 7 percent improvement in aerodynamics--the result of changes including the new front-end styling, the addition of a belly pan, the removal of the windshield wash nozzles from the hood and the redesign of the outside mirrors.
Wind noise on the coupe has been reduced 12 percent. The interior noise level also was reduced.
Tom Barnes, vehicle engineer manager, says the 2010 Mustang GT "is superior to the outgoing car in every respect." For example, Ford stiffened the springs, increasing the damping on the shocks and struts.
"What that enables us to do is that we have a very flat ride," Barnes says. "When you are turning, the car stays flatter. If you are braking, it stays flatter or during acceleration stays flatter."
The base GT now outperforms the 2009 Mustang Bullitt, one of the Mustang's performance versions.
More horsepower
Horsepower on the 4.6-liter V-8 is boosted to 315 from 300 on the 2009 model. Torque is 325 pounds-feet, up from 320. The engine runs on unleaded regular gasoline, although premium fuel gives the engine a boost in midrange torque. The 4.9-liter V-6 engine is unchanged.
New options include a navigation system, Sync and a rear-mounted camera. Standard equipment on all versions includes stability control, antilock brakes and traction control. Mustang production begins late in the first quarter.
(Source: Automotive News)
