<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/convertibles/" rel="tag">Convertible</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/2010mustang_lead.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><small>2010 Ford Mustang GT - click above for high-res gallery</small></em></strong></div>
<br />
We're hoping there's some "there there" with this one, but here goes. <em>Car & Driver</em> went down to the GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan where they ran into some Ford engineers with a few pre-production 2011 Mustangs. Aside from some adjustable shocks (which <em>C&D</em> feels are most likely just for development), the big difference was the tires on one of the mules. <br />
<br />
Pirelli P Zero Corsa R-compounds, to be precise, in place of the "regular" P Zeros found on 2010 Track Packers. In other words, pure supercar. In fact, those tires come stock on the Lambo LP560-4, for instance. The question then becomes, why would a Mustang need honest to goodness supercar meat? One explanation is that Ford is just playing around with different tire compounds. Another though, is much more interesting. <br />
<br />
<em>C&D</em> claims that the Corsa R-compound car was lapping the 1.88 mile track just as quickly as the current BMW M3 they brought along. But how could a 315 hp car keep up on a track with a 414 hp car? Weight? Maybe, because the Mustang weighs about 200 pounds less than the M3. Don't say torque, because the Mustang only beats the M3 by 25 lb-ft there. Tires? Well maybe, but the Michelin Pilot Sport 2s on the Bimmer are pretty sticky in their own right. Despite all that, 414 horses should have cleaned up.<br />
<br />
Well, what if the 2011 Mustang Mule with the fancy tires had a 5.0-liter, 32-valve DOHC Coyote engine kicking out 400+ hp and 400+ torques. The world's worst kept secret engine could also explain the similar lap times. Now dig this, there's also a small possibility that the <a href="http://blog.caranddriver.com/2011-ford-mustang-gt-an-even-more-potent-track-pack-to-complement-the-400-hp-5-0-liter/">white mule</a> depicted in the article -- the one that appears to be missing a tailpipe -- isn't a V8 at all, but is instead an EcoBoosted V6 model. Did the car <em>C&D</em> ran into have the new 5.0-liter Ford V8 or the blown six? They didn't say. But if they saw the adjustable shocks that means they saw the hood up. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/">First Drive: 2010 Ford Mustang GT</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://blog.caranddriver.com/2011-ford-mustang-gt-an-even-more-potent-track-pack-to-complement-the-400-hp-5-0-liter/">Car & Driver</a>]<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/report-2011-ford-mustang-to-get-upgraded-track-pack-to-handle-5/">REPORT: 2011 Ford Mustang to get upgraded Track Pack to handle 5.0 "Coyote" power?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/report-2011-ford-mustang-to-get-upgraded-track-pack-to-handle-5/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19127231/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/report-2011-ford-mustang-to-get-upgraded-track-pack-to-handle-5/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><small>2010 Ford Mustang GT - click above for high-res gallery</small></em></strong></div>
<br />
We're hoping there's some "there there" with this one, but here goes. <em>Car & Driver</em> went down to the GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan where they ran into some Ford engineers with a few pre-production 2011 Mustangs. Aside from some adjustable shocks (which <em>C&D</em> feels are most likely just for development), the big difference was the tires on one of the mules. <br />
<br />
Pirelli P Zero Corsa R-compounds, to be precise, in place of the "regular" P Zeros found on 2010 Track Packers. In other words, pure supercar. In fact, those tires come stock on the Lambo LP560-4, for instance. The question then becomes, why would a Mustang need honest to goodness supercar meat? One explanation is that Ford is just playing around with different tire compounds. Another though, is much more interesting. <br />
<br />
<em>C&D</em> claims that the Corsa R-compound car was lapping the 1.88 mile track just as quickly as the current BMW M3 they brought along. But how could a 315 hp car keep up on a track with a 414 hp car? Weight? Maybe, because the Mustang weighs about 200 pounds less than the M3. Don't say torque, because the Mustang only beats the M3 by 25 lb-ft there. Tires? Well maybe, but the Michelin Pilot Sport 2s on the Bimmer are pretty sticky in their own right. Despite all that, 414 horses should have cleaned up.<br />
<br />
Well, what if the 2011 Mustang Mule with the fancy tires had a 5.0-liter, 32-valve DOHC Coyote engine kicking out 400+ hp and 400+ torques. The world's worst kept secret engine could also explain the similar lap times. Now dig this, there's also a small possibility that the <a href="http://blog.caranddriver.com/2011-ford-mustang-gt-an-even-more-potent-track-pack-to-complement-the-400-hp-5-0-liter/">white mule</a> depicted in the article -- the one that appears to be missing a tailpipe -- isn't a V8 at all, but is instead an EcoBoosted V6 model. Did the car <em>C&D</em> ran into have the new 5.0-liter Ford V8 or the blown six? They didn't say. But if they saw the adjustable shocks that means they saw the hood up. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/">First Drive: 2010 Ford Mustang GT</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-ford-mustang-gt/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/2010mustangfd_05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://blog.caranddriver.com/2011-ford-mustang-gt-an-even-more-potent-track-pack-to-complement-the-400-hp-5-0-liter/">Car & Driver</a>]<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/report-2011-ford-mustang-to-get-upgraded-track-pack-to-handle-5/">REPORT: 2011 Ford Mustang to get upgraded Track Pack to handle 5.0 "Coyote" power?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/report-2011-ford-mustang-to-get-upgraded-track-pack-to-handle-5/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19127231/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/12/report-2011-ford-mustang-to-get-upgraded-track-pack-to-handle-5/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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