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2015 Mustang EcoBoost Produces Only 275 HP On 87 Octane Gasoline

When the Ford Motor Company introduced the all-new for 2015 Ford Mustang, the American automaker also rekindled the idea of a turbo four-cylinder ‘Stang with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost model. However, there’s a bit of a catch with how many ponies this mill makes.
2015 Mustang EcoBoost Power Loss on 87 Octane gasoline 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Mustang6g forum
Officially rated 310 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 320 lb-ft (434 Nm) of torque at 3,000 rpm, there’s a fine print which reads that these figures are possible only when filling the tank up with 93 octane gasoline. This is a natural thing if take into account that, all things considered, this isn’t the typical econobox, but a pretty high-strung performance vehicle.

But here’s the other end of this story - a leaked Ford Motor Company document that was uploaded on the Mustang6g forum hints at a serious loss of oomph if you fill up with 87 octane gas, the regular gasoline rating for North America, Australia and New Zealand. Without further ado, the 2.3L loses 35 hp and 20 lb-ft (27 Nm) if you feed it 87 octane.

Another forum member puts the Mustang EcoBoost’s loss into perspective by comparing it with what happens to a Ford Focus ST when fed 87 instead of 93 octane gasoline. As it happens, “the Focus ST loses 8 hp 9 hp on 87, down from a max of 252 hp on 93,” quite a difference when put side by side to the 35 horsepower-strong loss of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost powerhouse of the 2015 model year 'Stang.

All in all, do keep in mind the quality of the gasoline affects power ratings of any car, be it a 1-liter Fiesta hatchback or an EcoBoost Mustang. And truth be told, it’s redundant to buy and drive a made-for-thrills machine such as the sixth-generation of the iconic Mustang, then fill the tank up with regular octane, especially when a gallon of premium gas costs a lot less than it did last year.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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