Ford drops V6 engine, introduces 10-speed transmission in 2018 Mustang
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Iconic muscle car will also get refined front and rear end, as well as some modern tech upgrades
Ford redid the front and rear end of the 2018 Mustang, improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics. PHOTO: Ford
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Ford Motor Co. is dropping the V6 engine that’s sat under the hood of its Mustang in one form or other for decades.
The automaker announced it would replace the popular muscle car’s 3.7-liter V6 with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that offers “outstanding performance advantages” over the outgoing six-cylinder.
Meanwhile, it will continue to offer an amped-up 5.0-liter V8 option, though it has overhauled the engine to rev higher and deliver more power.
Ford said the GT will use new dual-fuel, high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection technology to provide robust low-end torque, high-rpm power, and improved fuel efficiency.
Related: Ford cancels $1.6B Mexico plant, plans hybrid version of Mustang, F-150
The 2018 Ford Mustang will also include a 10-speed automatic transmission—compared to a six-speed in past models.
For manual drivers, Ford has upgraded the transmission to deliver optimal torque, and in the V8, it completely redesigned the transmission to include a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel.
To go with the performance upgrades, the U.S. automaker also packed a host of new technologies into the more than 50-year-old brand. The 2018 model will include a 12-inch digital display, customizable drive settings and driver-assist technology.
