2015 Ford Mustang Weight-to-Power Ratios Explored

By Craig Cole Jul 23, 2014

The 2015 Ford Mustang promises to be a better car in just about every measurable way compared to the outgoing model. It’s got extra power, a much more advanced chassis and loads of advanced technology. But how will it perform? Let’s explore this car’s weight-to-power ratio.

WEIGHT, WEIGHT… DO TELL ME!

Much to the relief of enthusiasts everywhere the car is NOT dramatically heavier; you could almost hear the internet release a collective sigh of relief when the numbers were posted. Sure it’s put on a few pounds but you might have gained more this year than the Mustang has.

The fastback model with an EcoBoost engine and automatic transmission should be the lightest. They’re expected to check out at 3,524 pounds, which is just six pounds more than a similar six-cylinder 2014 Mustang, its closest competitor since obviously a turbo-four is not currently offered.

The greatest mass delta is found when comparing GT fastback models equipped with manual transmissions. The 2015 car is expected to gain 87 pounds compared to today’s version. Accordingly it should weigh 3,705 pounds. If you prefer an automatic transmission this variant should check out at 3,729 pounds, a 54-pound increase.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Ford Mustang Ride Along

The base V6-powered Mustang coupe should gain anywhere between 12 and 30 pounds depending on transmission. Cars with the manual gain more but weigh slightly less. Total mass should measure 3,526 pounds with the manual and 3,530 with the self-shifting gearbox.

Pony Power

With the exception of its base V6 the 2015 ‘Stang is gaining a lot of oomph. The new 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-banger promises to put out a stout 310 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. With a dual-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection and careful tuning it should sound pretty good and offer abundant low-end responsiveness.

But the engine you really want is Ford’s freshly tweaked Coyote V8. The five-point-oh-my-gosh is set to deliver 435 hp and 400 lb-ft of twist. The engine incorporates lessons learned from the Boss 302 program. It features new intake ports, larger valves, more aggressive camshafts and charge-motion control valves in the intake manifold to promote swirl for better drivability and cleaner emissions.

By comparison the 5.0-liter V8 in today’s Mustang delivers a still-impressive 420 hp with 390 lb-ft.

The 2015 car’s entry-level engine remains a 3.7-liter V6. It should put out an even 300 horses and 280 units of twist, five fewer ponies than today’s car. That drop is attributable to a redesigned intake manifold that was necessitated by the hood, which has been lowered by something like 35 millimeters.

Pounds Per Horsepower

One of the best metrics for evaluating a vehicle’s performance capability is looking at its weight-to-power ratio. This is a measure of how many pounds every pony has to lug around. The more mass each equine is saddled with the more blunted the performance should be.

A 2014 Mustang with the V6 engine and a manual transmission weighs about 3,496 pounds. Dividing that figure by 305, which is the car’s horsepower rating, results in 11.46 pounds per horsepower. Not too shabby.

A similarly equipped 2015 model weighs 3,526 pounds and brandishes 300 ponies. Doing the math that works out to about 11.75 pounds per horsepower, slightly worse. An EcoBoost fastback with a stick weighs 3,524 pounds and has 310 horses, numbers that work out to 11.37 pounds per pony, slightly better than the 2014 car can muster. That’s progress, albeit a baby-step forward.

Shifting our attention to the 2014 Mustang GT with a manual, it strains the scale at a burly 3,618 pounds. Dividing that figure by 420 results in a rating of 8.61 pounds per horsepower, which is significantly better than either the V6 or EcoBoost models.

The 2015 equivalent should clock in at 3,705 pounds, which means each one of its 435 ponies is saddled with just 8.52 pounds. That’s a better power-to-weight ratio than an Audi R8 V8 Spyder (8.82) or a Porsche Cayman S PDK (9.16), two very well-respected performance machines.

Looking way back in the rear-view mirror it’s incredible how far the Mustang has come over the last 10 years. For a little perspective a 2004 GT coupe was powered by a SOHC 4.6-liter V8 that delivered just 260 hp, 40 LESS than the new six-cylinder engine despite having almost a liter’s worth of additional displacement! With a curb weight around 3,006 pounds this decade-old car had a weight-to-power ratio of 11.56, only slightly better than the 2015 base model.

For an even more dramatic comparison, check out a 1965 Mustang’s specs. Hardtop models weighed around 2,556 pounds. If customers sidestepped the standard inline-six and opted for the available 289 V8 instead they were treated to 220 horses. Crunching these numbers results in a rating of 11.61 pounds per pony, not as far off as you might expect thanks in large part to the car’s feather-light curb weight.