Ford tagged posts

2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Update:

We have already been following the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 for a while, and our last update one month ago can be seen here.

One number that Mustang fans really want to know is the actual horsepower output of its 5.2L naturally aspirated, flat-plane V8 engine.

How Much HP Will The GT350 Have?

Today our source told us that this number will be around 540. Yes, Ford is able to make 540hp out of the 5.2-liter displacement. Other new information including:

– Hood and front fenders are made with aluminum, height is lowered by 2-inch;
– Front track widened by 35mm

We will closely follow the development of the GT350 Mustang and report back any news...

Mustang EcoBoost

Have you ever thought of a Mustang having a 4-cylinder engine? “Only” 4-cylinders.

Yes, that is the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost, equipped with a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, good for 310hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. The 2015 Ford Mustang V6 engine is good for 300hp and 280 lb-ft of torque so you can get a good picture of how this new Mustang 2.3 EcoBoost can perform.

If you are considering this move from Ford as an attempt to downgrade the Mustang a little bit to save fuel and make it more affordable for consumers in Asia and Europe, you are totally wrong. In fact, for Mustang the 2.3L EcoBoost trim sits above the 3.7L V6 engine trim.

Now Ford is...

A lucky member at Mustang6G caught a mysterious 2015 Ford Mustang near Palm Springs, CA.

This is obviously a variant of the normal 2015 Ford Mustang GT, build by Shelby American, a company famous for its modified Ford vehicles, as well as performance parts.

The one we see here is probably a Mustang GT with the Shelby GT package. The package includes cosmetics upgrades for both exterior and interior, better (sportier) suspension setup. A small HP bump from the 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 is possible too.

Check out the below gallery to see more details of this fantastic car.

US Auto Sales: Key Factors

For an automobile consumer, the key factors that affect the decision to purchase a new vehicle is:

1. How easy he/she can get access to the funding (auto loan)
2. How old is his/her current car
3. How good is the new car model

The below chart is sourced from WSJ.

For factor #1, it looks like financial institutions have lowered the bar for approving car loans. According to the credit-monitoring firm Experian, now 20.4% of all auto loans are sub-prime loans, which is granted to borrowers in the lowest credit score range. Banks are even providing longer term loans. Get this, the average long term loan now reaches 5.5 years...

The Latest Ford Shelby GT350

We all know Ford is busy with promoting their latest muscle car of the year: the Shelby GT350 Mustang, while still working on its final production version.

What WASN’T On Shelby’s Press Release

In our previous report two weeks ago during the 2014 LA auto show, we leaked  a few things that you won’t find in Ford’s press release. Today we have MORE info on the GT350 Mustang, below is the summary of what we know so far, but is not in the official press release (new information today highlighted in bold):

1. The 5.2L flat-plane V8 shares the same cylinder block geometry of the 5...