By Mark Elias
Monday, Mar 29th, 2010 @ 8:03 pm

It’s a lyric ingrained in the minds of anyone who lived through the early 1990s: “Rollin in my 5.0.” Legendary numbers somehow immortalized in a retrospectively atrocious song by one-hit-wonder Vanilla Ice. Love him or loathe him, at least he had good taste in rides. Finally, Robert Van Winkle, as his birth certificate identifies him, can finally sample a real Ford Mustang with a true 5.0.

But in these ever-greener times, maybe Mr. Ice/Van Winkle would prefer the 305-horsepower Mustang with the – get this – V6.

Ford brought us to the La-La Land, the land of the red carpet and plastic surgery for a look-see and drive-see at what they’ve done to the Mustang to keep pace with a tough Camaro rival for 2011. For two days, we tooled around Los Angeles, sampling both the 302 cubic inch (5.0 liter) and 3.7-liter V6 engines. This time, the car/engine combo is worthy of a new tune.

Given our limited time behind the wheel of both the base Mustang and Mustang GT, we’ve decided to combine our impressions of the two powertrains. Check back soon for more in-depth evaluations when we add both the V6 and V8 powertrains to our test fleet.

But wait, there’s more
The 5.0 isn’t all that’s happening with the new ‘Stang. A new all-aluminum Duratec 3.7-liter DOHC V6 shows up offering more power than in the original 1965 Mustang, not to mention almost as much grunt as the outoing Mustang GT. And it even bests the new V6 Camaro by one pony.

Add improved vehicle dynamics, NVH control and improved fuel mileage for both the Mustang V6 and the GT and it looks like Ford might have a winner on its hands.

The nitty-gritty
Starting with the NVH department, Ford added sound-deadeners to both sides of the dashboard and rear wheel liners – they call them spats – for a reduction in intrusive noise due to wet or loose surfaces. The GT convertibles have seen more reinforcement with a 12-percent improvement in lateral stiffness. On the V6 side, damper tuning and spring rates have both been revised for the added horsepower in the 2011 model.

New rear lower control arms and stab-bar bushings have been added for better road feel and cornering and a strut tower brace is standard in both V6 and V8 models. Both new Mustangs see the return of a three-link solid rear axle with coil springs and Panhard rod rather than the fully independent suspension you’ll find in the Camaro. The V6 car gets a 22.0 mm stabilizer bar while the 5.0 gets the larger 24.0 mm stab-bar setup. For years, enthusiasts have moaned about the ‘Stang’s lack of independent rear suspension. We think that, once again, Ford has taken “old-tech” and essentially tuned it to within an inch of its life.

Steering has improved with the addition of electric power-assisted steering, which in addition to improved road feel, has built-in assists to counteract cross winds, road crowning and other such annoyances. An added benefit to the electric system is the absence of a belt-driven power steering pump that tends to sap power from the engine. A standard limited slip rear differential and larger brake rotors will aid in other dynamics areas.

Interiors are largely carryover from the 2010 model, which has barely been on the market for a year. A few items are new, including a 160-mph speedo and a tachometer that reads to 8,000 rpm. The center console reveals a revised version of Ford’s Sync system, this time with Traffic, Directions & Information, 911 Assist™ and Vehicle Health Report. We were disappointed at the lack of a telescoping steering wheel, or conversely of adjustable pedals, which essentially takes care of the same adjustment.

Finally, buyers of the V6 won’t feel left out of the fray for cheaping out and not buying the V8 car. A new high-performance package is available which offers a 3.31 rear axle ratio for quicker stoplight starts, a firmer Mustang GT suspension, 19-inch wheels, summer tires, and electronic stability control for sport mode driving.

Motive power
Now that you’ve read through the myriad small changes that help add up to a thoroughly revised Mustang, let’s get to the big stuff. Pop open the hood and nothing looks like it did for 2010.

The new 3.7-liter Duratec 24-valve V6 utilizes a twin independent variable cam timing system called Ti-VCT for near instantaneous valvetrain adjustment. Producing 305-horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque, it’s a vast improvement over the previous generation’s 4.0-liter. Along the way, it sees an increase of 95 horses and 40 extra lb-ft. of torque.

With a new powerplant comes the need for a new exhaust system and in this case the Mustang V6 does not disappoint. Dual pipes are standard from the factory on the V6, although we wished for a more rumble-grumble exhaust note from the V6. As you’ll find out, the V8 did not disappoint here. The engine is a strong puller, and begs to be pushed hard, even at upper RPMs. Despite the undoubtedly impressive grunt, EPA numbers come in at 19 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with the optional six-speed automatic. We saw an indicated average of 23.4 mpg.

The new 5.0-liter V8 has similarly received the Ti-VCT acronym treatment. It puts its variable valve timing to good use – to the tune of 412-horsepower and 390 lb-ft. of torque. Using a combination of aluminum block and composite materials for the intake manifold and valve covers, the new five-oh is optimized for weight savings and improved durability. Both engines use a deep sump oiling system, which allows for 10,000-mile oil change intervals, while factory installed exhaust headers guarantee an absolutely delicious report from the twin exhausts out back. EPA numbers for the V8 are 18 city/25 highway with the automatic. Expect 17 city/26 highway for the manual. Both are decent improvements over the current GT models.

Both engines are available with six-speed automatics or six-speed manual transmissions. We enjoyed sampling the new Getrag-developed six-speed sticks in both the V6 and the GT. The quick and reassuring feel significantly bests the outgoing five-speeds and offer more precision than either the Camaro or Dodge ’s Challenger.

We can’t gush so enthusiastically about the available six-speed automatic transmission. Not offering a “manumatic” gate, it is set up more for a Sunday afternoon cruise than powershifts during stoplight drag races. In other words, put the gear selector in D, 3, 2 or 1 and that’s exactly where the gearing will remain. In full drive (D) mode, a grade assist function will hold the gear longer as it senses an uphill climb. Perhaps a Shiftronic function or the addition of paddle shifters would increase the utility of the automatic for enthusiasts. Just because buyers don’t want three pedals doesn’t mean they don’t want a sporty feel.

A special high performance track package is aimed at autocrossers on the GT. Its biggest notable change is its 14-inch ventilated front Brembo brakes.

Ride, Sally, ride
Driving the new Mustang (V6) and Mustang GT (V8) up and down the Pacific Coast Highway north of Los Angeles had us appreciating the Mustang all over again. We felt the power and torque from the 3.7-liter V6 to be just the ticket for leaving the lally-gaggers behind. Turning onto the canyon roads that lead up to Mulholland Highway found us whipping wheel with the best of them. We really liked the responsiveness of the new EPAS power steering system, which over the varying degrees of mountain road continued to plow forward with nary a whimper or awkward jostle. This is a sharp contrast compared to many other electric systems.

It was smart of Ford to first have us experience the smaller engine as a baseline. We surely would have been disappointed going from V8 to V6, but that is just human nature. We’ll get over it. Instead, starting with the V6 gave us a new appreciation for a package that has generally been derided as a “not so manly ride.” Sure the V6 exhaust note is more tenore than basso, but it’s a sound we can surely grow to enjoy. It’s probably one of the best examples of performance on a budget that we can think of, although we do still enjoy the base Camaro V6. The lithe and tossable Mustang stands out as the more fun to drive, however.

The Mustang GT’s new 5.0-liter V8 shows once again that the pony car wars are in full swing. With 412 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque at the ready, it’s clear that Ford was not going to just roll over and let Chevy or Dodge claim the big prize. Heck, they deserve a Grammy award for the music underhood, alone. The new 5.0’s neck snapping performance and ride quality will have you saying “thank you sir, may I have another?”

Leftlane’s bottom line
Sure, it might boast the oldest basic design and the least-sophisticated rear suspension of the modern day muscle car trio, but the Ford Mustang is now firmly our all-around favorite. More comfortable than the Camaro and more tossable than the Challenger, the Mustang really is the “just right” offering. We can’t ignore the V6 ‘Stang for once, but our money is definitely on the snortin’ GT.

2011 Ford Mustang base price, $22,995.
2011 Ford Mustang GT base price, $30,495.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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