The new 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 isn’t just a turn of the page, it is a new chapter all together. Since 1995, Ford fans have been clamoring for the return of the 5.0 emblem on the Mustang’s fenders. The host of 4.6 modular V8’s over the years have been impressive and some even legendary, but something has just been missing.
It might have taken fifteen years, but Ford has listened. And they have made up for lost time in a huge way.
The sound of this all-new 412hp DOHC V8 roaring under the hood, bellowing through the canyons, and ripping through the gears plays on the inner soul in ways that words cannot well express. It is the euphoric addictive essence of automotive lust there for you to playback over and over again whenever you need the fix. Like chain smokers watching the clock at work for a smoke break, owners of the 2011 Mustang GT will be looking for every opportunity to get out on the road for a spirit feeding car-fix of 5.0 rumble, roar and speed. Even the smallest chance to hear that growl, the exhaust note, and feel the power will be the new nicotine. Did we mention that it sounds good?
Suffice it to say that new owners of the 2011 Mustang 5.0 will not immediately feel the need to go out and buy a set of aftermarket mufflers. Ford has outfitted the new Mustang GT with a generously piped high-flow stainless steel exhaust system with huge chrome tips. Engineers tell us they spent untold weeks and months in the sound lab getting rid of what we don’t want to hear, and adding more of what we do. A sound pipe even transmits induction sound from the intake manifold directly to a drum-head like diaphragm in the firewall, giving the driver a healthier dose of that throaty V8. A device that owes it’s origins to the Eco-Boost engine program, we have to say that it actually works.And the power. Oh my. With six-speeds at your disposal and a standard 3:31 limited slip rear axle, every bit of the stated 412hp is easily put to forward motion. In fact, a couple of magazines have already dyno tested the 2011 Mustang 5.0 with results of 377-395rhwp. If you do the standard math on that range, you have Ford under-stating the true power potential of the new 5.0 liter V8. Let’s just say that it felt terrific to slingshot through the curves and hills of Southern California‘s coastal roads. Powering up steep grades with the engine sounding something of an off-shore racing boat was effortless and rewarding. Let’s go back and do that again.
The engine is a brilliant balance between demonic rage that rolls your eyeballs back like slot machine reels and a refined smoothness you would assign to a high end German sport sedan. How they achieved this dual personality is something people will be talking about for a long time. But suffice it to say it not only looks and sounds the part of a world class sports car, but it now feels the part as well. Someone buying this car having owned a BMW will be every bit impressed by the power train’s refinement as someone coming from a 2005 Mustang.
The six-speed manual was our favorite of course. The shifter is much improved over the similar one we experienced in the 2010 Shelby GT-500 last year. It is easily rowed through the cogs with few hang-ups or misses. It is precise and surgical. It feels solid and durable. And with Mustang enthusiasts it will need to be.
The six-speed automatic surprised and pleased as well. We had the opportunity to test one on a short drag strip alongside a Camaro SS also equipped with a six-speed automatic. With firm quick up-shifts we clicked off a 8.60 second 1/8 mile run in the 2011 Mustang GT with a top speed of 86.70 mph. Our fastest 1/8 mile run in the 2010 Camaro SS was a much slower 9.58 seconds at 80.14 mph. The Camaro by comparison felt sluggish and heavy with a sloppier shifting transmission.
The 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 also impresses in the handling and braking arena as well. For 2011 the Mustang uses an all new electronic power steering assist (EPAS) instead of hydraulic system. Freeing up the engine from driving a power steering pump, the first thing you notice in the parking lot is that turning left and right does not pull down on your idle. There is no power steering pump noise either. This translates into better performance and efficiency as the engine is free of that drag.
source: themustangnews
