Editor-At-Large Arthur St. Antoine rides along in Fords all-new Mustang V-6 to see how it stacks up against its V-6 rivals
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MotorTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 We love the Ford Mustang at Motor Trend.
00:10 No, no, wait, let me correct that.
00:11 We love the Ford Mustang GT at Motor Trend.
00:15 As regular readers of Motor Trend will know,
00:17 the V6 version, however, is not one of our favorite cars.
00:21 Compared to its rival V6 engines from Chevrolet,
00:24 the Camaro, and Challenger with Dodge,
00:28 the Mustang V6 is underpowered, it's noisy,
00:31 our editor-in-chief calls it a boat anchor.
00:34 Well, happily, that's all about to change for 2011
00:38 because Ford has a brand new, very sophisticated
00:42 3.7 liter V6 that makes 305 horsepower
00:46 and gets 30 miles per gallon estimated on the highway.
00:49 You'll note that both of those numbers
00:51 beat our tribal Camaro.
00:53 Today, at Ford's Arizona Proving Grounds,
00:56 I'm gonna get a chance to ride in the car,
00:58 not drive it, but we'll take any chance we get
01:01 to get into the seat of a prototype Mustang,
01:03 and that's today.
01:05 This is not a full-on comparison test,
01:07 but it will be revealing to see how
01:08 this 2011 Mustang V6 feels.
01:11 So come along for the ride.
01:12 As noted, for 2011, the big news is the V6 engine.
01:26 It's got twin independent variable camshafts,
01:29 variable up to about 60 degrees on the intake side
01:32 and 50 degrees on the exhaust side,
01:35 and it makes 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.
01:39 This is one nice motor.
01:41 EPA estimates 19.30 miles per gallon,
01:44 city highway with the automatic, 18.29 with the manual.
01:49 It's worth noting that both those transmissions
01:51 are six speeds, a nice addition to this car.
01:55 So I'm doing a little something different today.
01:57 I'm at the Ford Arizona Proving Ground,
01:59 and we're here to get an early peek
02:01 at the 2011 Mustang with the new V6 engine,
02:05 but I can't drive the car.
02:07 So instead, I'm riding along.
02:09 And to be fair, we've brought along a Challenger V6
02:13 and a Camaro V6, and right now I'm riding in the Challenger,
02:16 and you'll notice I'm not in my usual seat.
02:18 I'm in the passenger seat because I can't drive the Mustang.
02:21 I'm not gonna drive any of them.
02:24 We spent a lot of time in the Challenger SE before,
02:26 of course, and today I'm just getting
02:28 some general impressions on engine sound
02:31 and how the chassis feels from the right-hand seat.
02:34 Obviously, I can't comment on steering feel
02:36 or brake pedal feel or any of that usual stuff.
02:39 What I notice already, though, is my test driver
02:42 is finding this car pushes quite a bit.
02:44 The Challenger is a heavy car,
02:46 quite a bit heavier than the Mustang,
02:48 and with 250 horsepower, it is now the least powerful
02:52 of the pony car trio we have here today.
02:55 And you can feel it.
02:56 That combination of least horsepower and most weight
02:59 means that the engine's working pretty hard.
03:02 That said, the engine is pretty smooth,
03:05 and it's very quiet on the highway.
03:06 I noticed when I drove it out here.
03:08 And the old Challenger gets around pretty well.
03:11 It's handling these big bumps on the track here
03:14 with pretty good control, but we've still got the Camaro
03:17 and the Mustang to go, and I think they're gonna be
03:20 quite a bit better on this stuff.
03:22 Okay, now I'm taking a lap in the Camaro RS.
03:25 This is a very impressive motor, of course.
03:29 We've spent a lot of time in this car.
03:31 304 horsepower from 3.6 liters.
03:34 Of course, this is a direct injection motor.
03:37 A lot of us at Motor Trend really feel that this Camaro
03:40 is the real story of the year,
03:41 more so even than the vaunted V8,
03:44 because this car is a little bit lighter,
03:46 a little more nimble handling, and a terrific value.
03:49 And what I can already tell is that, first,
03:53 this Camaro's pulling harder than the Challenger was,
03:56 and it's cornering more flatly.
03:58 It's just, it can feel, my test driver's
04:01 not having to work quite so hard.
04:03 And, you know, this car has good grip.
04:07 Seems to handle the undulations of the track pretty well.
04:10 I do notice that sitting here in the seat,
04:13 as you notice when you're sitting
04:15 in any seat of the Camaro, it's very cave-like in here.
04:18 You have almost a gunslit view of the outside.
04:21 Very high door sills here,
04:23 and kind of a narrow windscreen ahead of you.
04:26 It's dark in here, but it's a compelling design.
04:30 They've done their homework on the suspension.
04:31 Of course, this car has an independent rear,
04:33 unlike the Mustang, and again, that strong motor.
04:37 So it's a formidable contender,
04:39 but we still have the all-new Mustang to go up against this,
04:43 and that's coming up right now.
04:44 Well, this is the car we've come all the way out,
04:48 to Arizona, to drive.
04:49 This is the 2011 Ford Mustang.
04:52 I'm here mostly to hear how the engine sounds.
04:55 I can't drive the car,
04:57 get a feel for what the suspension can do.
04:59 And I have to say, this new 3.7 liter V6
05:04 that the Mustang has is a revelation,
05:06 especially compared with the outgoing four liter.
05:09 This one is twin cam, has variable valve timing,
05:12 and develops 305 horsepower,
05:15 which is even more potent than the direct injection motor
05:17 in the Camaro.
05:19 It sounds great, just a little bit throatier, perhaps,
05:21 than the Chevy.
05:23 Pulls way harder, obviously,
05:24 than the Challenger's 3.5 liter motor.
05:27 And the car feels very composed to me.
05:29 I also spent some time in the car,
05:32 the test mule out here,
05:33 equipped with the optional performance package.
05:35 That car is gonna be a real enthusiast hit,
05:37 let me tell you.
05:39 For a base price of just under $23,000,
05:42 including destination, a fantastic value.
05:45 And we can't wait until I can get in that seat
05:47 and experience this all new Mustang.
05:49 But from what I've experienced today,
05:51 from the passenger seat, this is very impressive indeed.
05:54 Does today qualify as a valid comparison test?
06:00 No.
06:01 On the other hand,
06:02 would we turn down a chance for seat time,
06:04 even passenger seat time, in a prototype Mustang?
06:08 No way.
06:09 And today, we found out that the 2011 Mustang V6
06:13 has the goods to fight with Challenger and Camaro.
06:15 It's got the reflexes, it's got the sound,
06:18 it's got the power.
06:19 We can't wait to get behind the wheel ourselves.
06:22 Meantime, all that's left is this.
06:26 (engine revving)
06:28 (upbeat music)
06:32 (engine revving)
06:35 (tires screeching)
06:45 (upbeat music)
06:47 (upbeat music)
06:50 (upbeat music)
06:53 (rock music)
06:55 (rock music)