The 2018 Ford Mustang GT will rocket to 100 km/h in "less than four seconds," according to a new announcement from Ford. While the Blue Oval won't say exactly how much less, this figure potentially means that the refreshed GT will potentially be quicker to 60 mph than the 2018 Shelby GT350.
The 2018 GT's revised 5.0-liter will pump out 460 horsepower (343 kilowatts) and 420 pound-feet (569 Newton-meters) of torque, a boost over 435 hp (324 kW) and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) from the current model. The updated engine features both high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection. In addition, the compression ratio increases from 11:1 to 12:1.
To hit 60 mph so quickly, drivers will need to put the 2018 Mustang GT's 10-speed automatic gearbox in Drag Strip mode and have the Performance Pack's custom-designed Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires.
"Typically, when you shift gears, you give up time," Carl Widmann, Mustang chief engineer, said in Ford's announcement. "In Drag Strip mode, the engine torque doesn't drop when you're shifting. You get peak engine torque and horsepower straight through thanks to our new Ford-built 10-speed transmission."
Ford generally doesn't publish acceleration times for its models, but third-party instrumented tests from Car and Driver and Motor Trend indicate that the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang reaches 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and 4.1 seconds, respectively. Judging by these figures, the 2018 Mustang GT in Drag Strip Mode is even quicker than the more-powerful range topper in the lineup. Ford doesn't have mechanical upgrades for the 2018 GT350, either.
Buyers of the EcoBoost Mustang get an extra boost of torque, too. The 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder continues to make 310 horsepower (231 kilowatts) but now produces 350 lb-ft (475 Nm), versus 320 lb-ft (434 Nm) currently. In Drag Strip mode with the Performance Package and the 10-speed automatic, the turbocharged model gets to 60 mph in under five seconds.
Ford will launch the configurator for the 2018 Mustang on July 25, and the models will arrive at dealers this fall.
