The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

2015 Mustang: Four-cylinder in, Shelby out?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

four-walling

Kerry, San Diego
(from leftlanenews.com)

By Drew Johnson

Tuesday, Jun 11th, 2013 @ 10:59 am

New details have emerged on Ford's upcoming 2015 Mustang. The all-new Mustang promises a host of upgrades that should bring the original pony car into the 21st century.

There has been much debate about the 2015 Mustang's powertrains, but Road & Track seems to have sorted everything out.

The base 2015 Mustang will continue to be offered with a V6 engine. Power should remain similar to the Mustang's current ratings of 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft or torque.

In a bit of a twist, Ford will offer an EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder as the Mustang's mid-level engine. Although down on cylinders compared to the V6, the four-banger should produce 350 horsepower and 300+ lb-ft of torque. No word yet on whether Ford plans to brand the four-cylinder Mustang as the SVO.

Ford's 5.0L Coyote V8 will continue to power the 2015 Mustang GT, but power should grow from today's 420 horsepower to 450 horsepower.

Perhaps most intriguing, Ford will reportedly drop the Shelby moniker from the top-spec version of its 2015 Mustang. It still remains unclear what nameplate the car will wear, but 'Cobra' seems to be the early front runner.

The current Shelby GT500 comes equipped with a supercharged V8 engine, but that probably won't be the case for the next-generation Cobra. Look for the next Mustang range-topper to use all engine to generate eye-popping performance figures, similar to what Chevrolet has done with the Camaro Z/28.

Lastly, the 2015 Mustang will ditch its old school solid rear axle for a modern independent setup.

Look for the 2015 Ford Mustang to break cover sometime next year.
Read more at http://www.leftlanenews.com/2015-mustang-four-cylinder-in-shelby-out.html#hbQlgIApHAF3S5zh.99
 
2,198
1,065
Bay Area
Funny you post this. I was talking to "a guy" last night and he was telling me the same stuff that you posted. He was even describing to me what the new generation mustang will look like. Lets wait & see,
 
I'm interested to see what they will look like.. I think the four cylinder turbo is definitely a better idea than the V6 from an economy standpoint and weight/hp ratio..

I have a 2013 BOSS and a 2014 GT500... will be interested to see what the new 'cobra' looks like and has to offer.. I'm betting it's a hybrid bw the BOSS302 track capability and the Current GT500 brute force HP vehicle! Should be a great product.. it'll just take some getting used to with a totally new body style!

I'm anxiously awaiting!!
 

four-walling

Kerry, San Diego
450 HP? Surprised?

Porsche does that EVERY year. 10 or 15 or more HP every year with minimal modifications

Here is the question:

How desirable will a Boss be if a 2015 Mustang GT has more horsepower, and weighs 200 or 300 lbs. less?

I would get ready for a rude awakening.
 
four-walling said:
450 HP? Surprised?

Porsche does that EVERY year. 10 or 15 or more HP every year with minimal modifications

Here is the question:

How desirable will a Boss be if a 2015 Mustang GT has more horsepower, and weighs 200 or 300 lbs. less?

I would get ready for a rude awakening.

Limited production.......increase in horsepower.......improvement in technology......seems like this happened back in the 1969/1970 era when the original BOSS 302 came out!

History has a way of repeating itself......you never know! JMO
 
four-walling said:
450 HP? Surprised?

Porsche does that EVERY year. 10 or 15 or more HP every year with minimal modifications

Here is the question:

How desirable will a Boss be if a 2015 Mustang GT has more horsepower, and weighs 200 or 300 lbs. less?

I would get ready for a rude awakening.

There's no way the Mustang will lose 300 or even 200lbs. Consider, a McLaren MP4-12C weights 3200lbs, a 300lbs weight loss would mean it weighs only 100lbs more than a $250,000, fully carbon fiber supercar made by a formula 1 team. I don't think so.
 
Number23 said:
There's no way the Mustang will lose 300 or even 200lbs. Consider, a McLaren MP4-12C weights 3200lbs, a 300lbs weight loss would mean it weighs only 100lbs more than a $250,000, fully carbon fiber supercar made by a formula 1 team. I don't think so.

The corvette only weighs 3200 lbs, so not unrealistic that they could shed a couple hundred pounds out of a Mustang. Depends on what they build.
 
Number23 said:
There's no way the Mustang will lose 300 or even 200lbs. Consider, a McLaren MP4-12C weights 3200lbs, a 300lbs weight loss would mean it weighs only 100lbs more than a $250,000, fully carbon fiber supercar made by a formula 1 team. I don't think so.

Not to mention that people have gotten their S197s down to 3200-3300 lbs. without the driver. With a smaller chassis and car with stronger lighter weight metals it could be a possibility.
 
SUPRMN said:
Limited production.......increase in horsepower.......improvement in technology......seems like this happened back in the 1969/1970 era when the original BOSS 302 came out!

History has a way of repeating itself......you never know! JMO

We all know what happened with the mustang II. LOL
 
NewBossowner said:
The corvette only weighs 3200 lbs, so not unrealistic that they could shed a couple hundred pounds out of a Mustang. Depends on what they build.

The C7 has actually gained weight over the outgoing C6 despite the base car going to an aluminum chassis. I think we can agree that the 2015 Mustang will still be made primarily of steel. Even, the new Jag F-Type, which is made of aluminum, weighs 3600 lb. There's a reason no one makes a 3300 lb., 4 passenger, V8 coupe.

There are two things conspiring against cars getting lighter
1. Increasing passenger AND pedestrian safety regs. The 3300 lb. Mustangs from a decade ago wouldn't come close passing todays safety regulations.
2. Customer expectation regarding NHV. Today's customers expect their cars to be very quiet, squeak and rattle free, very smooth, very solid feeling and very safe. Absent some repeal of one or more of our universes' physical laws, meeting those goals requires size and mass. This is why every manufactures' cars have gotten bigger and heavier, every one. The Civic today is bigger than an Accord of 15 years ago. The 3 Series of today is bigger than the 5 Series of 15 years ago. Even the BMW 1 Series, which was supposed to revive the spirit of the smaller 3 Series and 2002 BMWs of yore weighs 3600 lb.
 

four-walling

Kerry, San Diego
Number23 said:
There's no way the Mustang will lose 300 or even 200lbs. Consider, a McLaren MP4-12C weights 3200lbs, a 300lbs weight loss would mean it weighs only 100lbs more than a $250,000, fully carbon fiber supercar made by a formula 1 team. I don't think so.

Aluminum is abundant and the price is about 1/2 of what it was 5 years ago.

Also, auto manufacturers pay a hefty dollar penalty per 1/10 of a mile per gallon they are short of CAFE requirements. I think there is a good shot the new Mustang will have a lot more parts made from aluminum then they use today.

P.S. That twin turbo V8 in the McClaren probably weighs a ton...metaphorically speaking...

GraphEngine.ashx?z=f&gf=110569.USD.png
 
And here are the latest spy photo's. http://www.carscoops.com/2013/06/spied-ford-brings-out-2015-mustang.html

2015-Ford-Mustang-Coupe-2Carscoops.jpg
 
four-walling said:
Also, auto manufacturers pay a hefty dollar penalty per 1/10 of a mile per gallon they are short of CAFE requirements. I think there is a good shot the new Mustang will have a lot more parts made from aluminum then they use today.

It wouldn't take much to add more aluminum and a little carbon, shrink the car a tiny bit and still seat 4 passengers. lighter wheels maybe, lots of ways as most of our racers have discovered to make the car lose weight. I would like to point out, the factory has a much better budget for figuring this stuff out.
 
four-walling said:
Aluminum is abundant and the price is about 1/2 of what it was 5 years ago.

Also, auto manufacturers pay a hefty dollar penalty per 1/10 of a mile per gallon they are short of CAFE requirements. I think there is a good shot the new Mustang will have a lot more parts made from aluminum then they use today.

P.S. That twin turbo V8 in the McClaren probably weighs a ton...metaphorically speaking...

GraphEngine.ashx?z=f&gf=110569.USD.png

It's not raw materials cost that's the problem, aluminium is not some magic pixie dust that makes everything lighter. There's no shortage of cars that either use aluminum in their construction or are made entirely of aluminium. Nearly all of them weigh the same or more than the current Mustang.

I wouldn't be surprised if some CF showed up in the SVT/Cobra/GT500 (whatever they end up calling it), but at best it will save 50 or 75 lbs. Can anyone name a car that extensively uses CF in its construction that cost less than 150k? Anyone who thinks the next Mustang is going to 3300 or 3400 lbs., just doesn't understand anything about building modern cars.

What car has gotten smaller and lighter in the last 15 years? If it's possible to build a 3400 lbs, V8, 4 passenger coupe, where is it? Why doesn't BMW, Lexus, MB, GM, Chrysler, etc build it? Because they're all dummies and don't know how to build cars? Is it because there's no customer demand for a faster, more fuel efficient performance car?

The next Mustang will weigh AT LEAST 3500 lbs, if they pull that off it will be a significant achievement.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top