Could the 2018 Ford Mustang GT Pack 455 Horsepower?
Ford Says Revised Mustang GT is More Powerful. That Means It’ll Crank Out More Than 435 Horsepower.
We knew a facelifted Ford Mustang was coming sooner or later. The S550 version of the automotive icon has been on the market since the 2015 model year. Last week, Ford showed us all what the refreshed 2018 Mustang would look like…but it didn’t release any specs on it.
Among other powertrain changes, such as the new available 10-speed automatic, the 5.0-liter V8 of the Mustang “has been thoroughly reworked” to include both port and direct fuel injection and is “more powerful and revs higher than any Mustang GT before.”
Just how powerful? Ford hasn’t said yet, but Road & Track took a stab at the GT’s final output. The magazine referred to the following tweet from Mike Levine, Ford’s North America Product Communications Manager:
Did you find the 2018 #Mustang Easter eggs in the all-new 12-inch digital cluster? pic.twitter.com/fw3Xw1lfDc
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) January 18, 2017
The assumption is that the big 4 on the left of the gauge cluster and the 55 on the right mean the 2018 Mustang GT will have 455 horsepower. That would make sense. The current Coyote V8 makes 435 horsepower. Given the mechanical upgrades of the ’18 model, 455 doesn’t seem outlandish.
In fact, 455 might be undershooting the final horsepower number. When Ford was overhauling the Power Stroke diesel in its Super Duty trucks for 2017, the torque number it had to beat was 900 lb-ft, the amount of twist Ram’s Cummins-powered 3500 had. Ford responded by giving its 2017 Power Stroke 925 lb-ft. The current Chevrolet Camaro SS generates 455 horsepower. If Ford’s Mustang crew is anything like its truck team, the 2018 Mustang GT could believably wind up pumping out 460 or 465 horsepower. Why come out with a significantly reworked car and just match the horsepower that your chief rival’s car offers?
When Road & Track tried to get a confirmation about whether or not the 2018 Mustang GT would have 455 horsepower, the publication stated Levine sent “us a picture of a gauge cluster with a big seven and a big 55, adding ‘we’ll share more details about the new Mustang closer to launch.'” Hmmm…is that a hint that the next Shelby GT500 will have a Hellcat-skinning 755 horsepower? We sure hope so.
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
via [Road & Track]
photos [Ford]
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