Not since since 1993 has there been a four-cylinder engine in a Mustang, and 1986 was the last time we saw a turbocharged four-pot in front of the firewall. While some purists look down on the idea of a Mustang with any less than eight cylinders, the fact of the matter is that V8 production is far outweighed by base model production. The current 3.7L V6 engine isn’t too shabby, but it’s not really exciting in any way – more of a high-horsepower grocery-getter engine.
That’s all about to end, as Ford has slated the 2.3L EcoBoost turbocharged engine for production with 310 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. The EcoBoost Mustang also will boast 52F/48R weight distribution. Thanks to the available Performance Pack that offers upgraded springs, bushings, better rear dampers, strut tower bracing, and thicker rear anti-roll bar it will be one of the best-handling Mustangs ever produced at the factory. Never mind the fact that the little four-cylinder has more power than Ford ever put into a V8 Fox Mustang.
But you’re here for the sounds, right? Well, that video at the top was shot a few days ago and gives an impression of what a factory EcoBoost will sound like from the passenger seat. There’s no high-RPM action, and it’s still wearing a stock exhaust system, but the car definitely exhibits the Mustang’s performance heritage through the pipes.
We can’t wait to hear one after the performance aftermarket gets done engineering new exhaust systems for the turbocharged platform. We can already hear the aftermarket chomping at the bit to build EcoBoost performance parts, and with the solid S550 platform underneath we could be looking at a new sleeper. 350 or 400 horses at the wheels doesn’t seem too far out of reach, especially with quality ECM tuning and some solid upgrades.
Thanks to TorqueNews for the video.