We’re not aware of any publication having (officially, because unofficially, you never know…) spent time behind the wheel of the most intriguing version of the 2015 Ford Mustang, the one with the 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four, but WardsAuto had the chance to take a shotgun ride in the car during a recent Ford Performance event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Their first impressions from the passenger seat where that “the all-new 2.3L EcoBoost sounds and feels convincing enough, propelling the car with gusto through three laps on a short handling track about the size of a football field in the Charlotte Motor Speedway parking lot”.
Ford has said that the 2.3-liter EcoBoost unit that is derived from the 2.0-liter EcoBoost employed in a number of Blue Oval models including the Focus ST will deliver more than 305hp and 300 lb-ft of torque (406 Nm), placing it above the base 3.7-liter V6 that will produce “at least” 300hp and 270 lb-ft (366Nm).
Mustang Vehicle Engineering Manager Tom Barnes told the site that the first four-cylinder engine to be offered in Ford’s pony car in 21 years “will not tarnish the car’s performance pedigree”.
He said the engine is “really amped up” over the 2.0L turbo with the development team having paid special attention to its torque figures. “It’s flat across at 100%,” said Barnes. “We wanted to make the torque available early on, and we got that.”
The 2.3L unit will be available with tweaked versions of the 2.0L’s automatic and manual gearboxes, while Ford has confirmed the use of a similar system to the electronically controlled “sound symposer” found in the Fiesta and Focus ST to augment throaty intake and deliver a better sound.
Barnes said that, while it won’t be as satisfying to hear as the V8, it should please fans. “Sound is hugely important in the Mustang – there’s emotional response,” he says. “We are paying close attention to making sure the experience is right. We didn’t go for something that’s just, ‘Zing zing!’ We wanted it to be Mustang, so we actually have low-frequency sound. But it’s not like we are trying to fake it out. It’s not a V-8.”
As for WardsAuto’s shotgun rider, he found the engine to sound “plenty aggressive and resonates more deeply than just about any other mainstream 4-cyl. engine on the road today”.
By John Halas
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