Ford will soon be replacing the aged old 4.0
liter SOHC V6 in the Mustang with a new high-reving 3.7 liter 24-valve
DOHC mill
Ford will soon be replacing
the aged old 4.0 liter SOHC V6 in the Mustang with a new high-reving
3.7 liter 24-valve DOHC mill. The engine similar to the new 3.5 and 3.7
liter Duratec engines that are found in Ford's front-wheel drive
platforms will come to Mustang officially for the 2011 model year.
Ford
showed off the 2011 Mustang 3.7 liter V6 at an employee town hall event
at their Dearborn Development Center last week. The event was attended
by a number of Ford personel and Ford racing personalities like the
John Force racing crew of NHRA. While exact specifications of the new
3.7 liter V6 as outfitted in the Mustang are not yet finalized, we can
look to the Lincoln MKS for a good idea.
In the Lincoln, the same exact Duratec
DOHC 24-valve aluminum V-6 cranks out a healthy 273 hp @ 6250 rpm with
270 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4250 rpm. This is a significant jump from the
lazy 210hp coming from the current mill who's basic architecture dates
back to the 1970's. It has a robust 10.3:1 compression ratio and modern
variable cam timing to bring the Mustang up to par with its
competition.
The
much heavier Dodge Challenger has a 3.5 liter V6 with 265hp while the
Camaro as we all know has a rip-snorting 300hp base plant. While
horsepower comes in mid-pack, the new high feature V6 will make the
base Mustang a much more premium piece of hardware.
The
engine will likely have slighty different horsepower and torque ratings
in the Mustang. Changes had to be made to the front wheel drive version
of the engine (shown below) for longitudinal placement. These revisions
include a new intake manifold, exhaust manifolds and accessory drive
system to name a few. A more free-flowing air intake system geared for
performance may also bolster final horsepower.
We
will have to wait a short while longer to get more details, but the
news bodes well. Now that the naturally aspirated version of the new
"Lima" V6 is configured for the Mustang, the 355hp twin-turbo
"Cleveland" version cannot be far behind.
