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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: (2010) Mustang Gets 48.5 MPG Goin’ the Distance A Ford Mustang with a V-6 under the hood and a NASCAR driver at the wheel averaged 48.5 mpg as it completed more than 1,000 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ford’s been making a big deal out of the V-6 Mustang, because it’s the first car to deliver more than 300 horsepower and more than 30 mpg. Eager to show off its fuel economy — 19 city, 31 highway and 23 combined — Ford sent a bone stock pony car, NASCAR driver David Ragan and four engineers to Bristol, Tennessee, on Wednesday. The goal was to run 1,000 laps (533 miles) on a single tank. They did that and more. By the time the tank ran dry, the team had finished 1,457 laps (776.5 miles) of the half-mile circuit in 17 hours and 40 minutes. That came to 48.5 mpg. Ragan passed the 1,000 lap mark at 7:26 p.m. Eastern, 12 hours and 26 minutes into the run. “We still had a quarter of a tank of gas left,” Ragan, who typically spends his time lapping tracks in the No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing, said. “The last driving stint before I passed 1,000 laps I was averaging 43.7 miles a gallon and that is unbelievable.” Mustang engineer Seong Park was at the wheel when the car finally rolled to a stop on the back straight at 12:41 a.m. Eastern. The drivers, who did one hour stints, didn’t reach very far into the hypermiling bag of tricks. They minimized the use of air conditioning (yes, they used the AC). Have you been to Tennessee in the summer? — maintained a steady pace, kept the RPMs low and avoided sudden starts and stops. Sounds like they got the car up to speed and kept it there. “This is beyond our wildest dreams,” said Tom Barnes, lead engineer for the challenge. “It was great when we went past the 1,000-lap mark with David, but nobody could ever imagine that we still had five hours ahead of us. This is a fantastic feeling.” Mustang Makes ‘Big Statement’ With Power and MPG The numbers are in, and they’ve been certified by the feds, so it’s official: The 2011 Mustang V-6 puts down 305 horsepower and gets 31 mpg on the highway. The Environmental Protection Agency completed testing the V-6 Mustang this week, and Ford said Thursday it’s the first time a production car has made more than 300 horsepower while returning more than 30 mpg. We couldn’t come up with a car to refute that claim — if you can, let us know — but even if Ford’s blowing smoke, it’s still an impressive accomplishment. It one-ups the Chevrolet Camaro, suggesting we’re on the cusp of a new kind of muscle-car war, and it highlights the gains yet to be made in internal combustion engines even as the industry flirts with hybrids and EVs. “This is a milestone for Ford and for the auto industry,” said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal. “This is a big statement.” It’s nothing for a hybrid like the 2010 Toyota Prius to hit 50 mpg or more, and even a rolling bank vault like the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid can get 22 combined. But we’re talking about a muscle car that can smoke the tires and get Honda Civic–like fuel economy on the highway. “When you’ve got a mainstream car like the Mustang that can give you 31 mpg and the performance car enthusiasts expect, it’s just short of amazing,” Cogan said. Somewhere in there is an engine that makes 305 horsepower. The figures apply to the V-6 with a six-speed automatic gearbox. It’s good for 19 city/31 highway. Choose the standard six-speed manual and you’ll get 19/29. Obviously these figures depend upon the force with which you’re depressing the gas pedal, but they’re the official EPA figures you’ll see on the window sticker. To put those figures in perspective, the new V-6 Mustang has 95 more ponies than the dog car it replaces and improves the outgoing model’s fuel economy by 4 mpg. The highway fuel economy is 1 mpg more than Ford expected. “The Mustang engineering team aimed high and, through hard work, achieved fuel-economy numbers that elevate Mustang into a class by itself,” Derrick Kuzak, Ford group VP, said in a statement. So how’d they do it? The 3.7-liter engine is made of aluminum to reduce weight. It’s got cold-air induction and variable cam timing to optimize efficiency. Ford tweaked the gear ratios and shift program in the transmission to maximize fuel economy. The hydraulic power-steering pump was ditched in favor of an electric unit to cut parasitic drag on the engine. And the aerodynamics were improved with a new front fascia, a taller air dam and tighter seals on the trunk, among other things. Together the modifications “speak to the future of Mustang,” said Barb Samardzich, Ford’s VP of global powertrain engineering. “We’ve proven that, using technology, Ford can deliver both power and fuel economy.”
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#1. To: X-15, 4 (#0)
Please check my math, but isn't that going 44.3MPH? Who the hell drives 44.3mph?
Granted, they weren't busting the sound barrier, but it is mind-boggling mileage considering that it's a rear-wheel drive V-6 with over 300HP on tap. Ford is trying to stay ahead of a hostile Democratic Congress that would have us all driving an egg roll shit box if they had their way.
That sounds somewhat reasonable, but remember that if they are going 44 MPH on a track, then there's no way the engine is putting out 300 HP or anything close to it. They've optimized every thing else, so that's probably the speed that was determined by the engineers to be the absolutely most fuel efficient speed to go.
All that 44mph is good for around here is a ticket in town for too fast, and a ticket on the highways for too slow. I do think that I'll go to a Ford dealer just for a test drive of this machine. Report to follow.
#7. To: Lod (#6)
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