Source: thecarconnection.com
It’s hard to find a crack in Ford Motor Company’s armor these days. For months, the company has been on an astounding roll: the quality of Ford vehicles is sky high, the company posted an impressive profit for 2009, and the public is excited about new models like the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Unfortunately for Ford haters, we have even more good news from Dearborn today: orders for the 2011 Ford Mustang have shot through the roof. In fact, dealers have taken about 11,000 orders for the new model, which is three times as many as they received for the 2010 Mustang.
Of that 11,000, roughly half of the orders have been for the 3.7-liter V6 Mustang, which delivers 305 hp and earns a fairly stunning 30 mpg highway. That’s an improvement of 25% in fuel efficiency over the 2010 model, and it’s likely playing a big role in the 2011 Mustang’s early success. According to Steve Ling, Ford’s North America car marketing manager, “Fuel economy ranks among the top two reasons people choose vehicles…. With the 2011 Mustang lineup, we’ve found a way to offer even better fuel efficiency for V-6, GT and even Shelby GT500 performance drivers — while improving performance. And consumers are responding.” This should make the pony car battle between the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro very interesting, since part of the 2010 Camaro’s success has been its remarkable fuel efficiency.
Of the remaining orders, about 41% have been for the Mustang GT, showing that the public was especially eager to see the 5.0-liter V8 return to the sales floor. The high-performance, 550 hp Shelby GT500 accounts for the remaining 9%.
Fans of other brands…well, we’ll get back to you shortly.
An all-new engine promises to make the base V-6 Mustang a lot more exciting for 2011.
The new 3.7-liter engine in the 2011 Mustang, part of Duratec family, uses Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and a Direct Acting Mechanical Bucket (DAMB) valvetrain to vary valve control through the rev range (up to 7,000 rpm) and achieve a three percent improvement in fuel efficiency and ten percent more power versus the same engine without this technology. Highway ratings with the new engine will be as high as 30 mpg, and it uses regular, not premium, gasoline.The engine also gets a number of other measures to improve efficiency, power, and durability, including tuned composite intake manifolds, coil-on-plug ignition, and piston-cooling jets, plus a cold-air induction system and a deep-sump oil pan. 
Inside, the changes include some additional soundproofing and new door seals, plus an upgraded instrument cluster, including a 160-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach. MyKey system will be offered on the Mustang for the first time for 2011, along with a garage-door opener, message center, and new blind-spot aids for the mirrors.
