For sometime now Ford ruled a whole segment because it alone had a pony car, however, that is soon to change. With the release of the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, Ford has some tough rival to contend with. Because of this, the engineers at Ford are exchanging the current 4.0-liter SOHC V6 with the 3.7-liter DOHC V6 in the base models of the 2011 Ford Mustang.
This new powerplant was revealed by the carmaker to its personnel at an event last week at the Dearborn Development Center. No details are available at present, except the fact that the powerplant has been utilized in other applications such as in the MKS, the flagship sedan of Lincoln. When fitted into the MKS, the 3.7-liter Duratec V6 powerplant gives up to 273hp and 270lb-ft of torque, a bump of 63hp and 30lb-ft from the 2010 Mustang’s 4.0-liter unit. In comparison, the base engine of the 2009 Dodge Challenger is a 3.6-liter SOHC V6 that produces 250hp and 250lb-ft of top torque and the direct injection 3.6-liter V6 of the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro produces 304hp and 273lb-ft of torque. To fit the new engine into the longitudinal setup in the Mustang some modifications had to be made including a new intake manifold, exhaust manifolds and accessory drive system. The result is expected to be different from the Lincoln figures and a bit more powerful in the Mustang.
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