Ford Bumps 2018 Mustang's Power, Claims Sub-four-second 0-60 Time for GT

As evidenced by its constantly evolving truck and SUV lineup, Ford isn’t happy printing the same horsepower and torque figures year after year. Fuel economy and cargo volume are all nice and good, and God knows American consumers love space for unnecessary, child-related crap, but performance cars aren’t dead yet. Nor is the desire for ever more rubber-shredding power.

In the hopes of satisfying those not waiting lustily for the upcoming 1.0-liter EcoSport, engineers at the Blue Oval cranked the power output of its facelifted EcoBoost and GT Mustang variants a few notches higher for 2018. The company’s also making noise about speed. Specifically, the time it takes to reach 60 mph in the 2018 Mustang GT.

Ford claims a 0-60 figure of less than four seconds when equipped with newly available Drag Strip mode — a stunning, if vague, figure that should garner bragging rights if owners are capable of replicating the feat themselves. With no exact 0-60 time given, the 2018 Mustang’s 13.5 cubic-foot trunk provides ample room for those grains of salt.

Until Ford dishes more about the GT’s sprinting ability, we’re left wondering whether it simply made the run in 3.99 seconds once or twice. If it’s not a fluke, Ford’s perennial pony car joins a very exclusive club. The 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats complete the run in 3.6 seconds when equipped with an automatic transmission and 3.9 seconds in three-pedal variants. Even the Shelby GT350’s best time comes in at 3.9 seconds.

(Of course, Ford would prefer you hear about its trouncing of the exotic Porsche 911 Carrera, not its encroachment on a Detroit rival.)

Ford’s previous Mustang GT, outfitted with a six-speed manual and a lower-output 5.0-liter V8, clocked in at 4.3 seconds in a Car and Driver test of a 2016 model. Other instrumented tests of the same powertrain from the likes of Motor Trend and Road & Track saw 0-60 times of 4.6 and 4.7 seconds.

What makes the 2018 GT so fast? Several things, Ford claims. First and foremost, there’s more power on tap — 460 horses and 420 lb-ft of torque, up from this year’s 435 hp and 400 lb-ft. It’s made possible by a dual port and direct injection setup. That’s 5 hp more than Chevrolet’s Camaro SS, which still beats the smaller Ford mill in terms of twist, and 85 hp more than Dodge’s 5.7-liter Challenger (though 25 less than 392 Hemi-equipped Mopars).

Joining the GT for 2018 is Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission, replacing a six-speed in that role. To claim that vaunted sub-four-second sprint time, Mustang GT buyers must first opt for the Performance Pack, which arrives with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires. Drag Strip mode also joins the list of drive modes. The system works with the faster-shifting 10-speed for maximum straight-line acceleration.

“Typically, when you shift gears, you give up time,” said Carl Widmann, Mustang chief engineer, in a release. “In Drag Strip mode, the engine torque doesn’t drop when you’re shifting. You get peak engine torque and horsepower straight through thanks to our new Ford-built 10-speed transmission.”

Entry-level Mustangs aren’t excluded from the fun, either. With the 3.7-liter V6 dropped from the lineup, the newly base 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder underwent massaging, resulting in 30 extra lb-ft of torque. Expect 310 hp and a healthy 350 lb-ft now. The same goodies Ford offers on the GT — 10-speed, Performance Pack and Drag Strip mode — are also available on the EcoBoost model.

So equipped, the four-cylinder Stang becomes capable of sub-five-second 0-60 times. Compare that to the 1988 LX you drove when you were 19.

Ford plans to release pricing tomorrow, well ahead of the 2018 Mustang’s arrival at dealers this fall.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]