Photo: Ford
The “most powerful four-cylinder sports car offered by an American automaker.” This is the phrase used by Ford to describe what resulted at the end of a transplant suffered by the entry-level 2020 Mustang.
About ten months ago, says Ford, “a passion project” of a five-person crew at the Ford Performance garage sought to see how would a Mustang with a Focus RS engine perform. It apparently performed so well that the carmaker decided to make it a factory-sanctioned option, available to all buyers of the Mustang fitted with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine.
Officially called 2.3L High Performance Package, the upgrade will become available for purchase this fall, and will offer 330 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, 20 hp more than the entry-level Mustang develops in its usual configuration and enough to make the car reach the 60 mph mark “in the mid-four-second range on premium fuel.”
As a result of the increase in power, the top speed also went up, now standing at 155 mph (250 kph), 10 mph (16 kph) more than on the stock version.
The engine has been modified to work in conjunction with either the 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission of the Mustang.
“It’s not just the horsepower gains over the standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost, it’s the broader torque curve that delivers 90 percent of peak torque between 2,500 and 5,300 rpm, which is 40 percent wider than the base EcoBoost engine,” said in a statement Mustang’s chief engineer, Carl Widmann.
“Plus, horsepower holds stronger up to the 6,500-rpm redline – enabling more usable power and torque for enthusiasts and weekend autocrossers to enjoy.”
The engine upgrade is not the only modification made to the entry-level Mustang as the nameplate is getting ready to celebrate its 55th anniversary.
The new Handling Package adds semi-metallic brake pads, specially calibrated MagneRide dampers and a Torsen limited-slip rear axle. Wider 19x9.5-inch aluminum tires are also included.
Officially called 2.3L High Performance Package, the upgrade will become available for purchase this fall, and will offer 330 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, 20 hp more than the entry-level Mustang develops in its usual configuration and enough to make the car reach the 60 mph mark “in the mid-four-second range on premium fuel.”
As a result of the increase in power, the top speed also went up, now standing at 155 mph (250 kph), 10 mph (16 kph) more than on the stock version.
The engine has been modified to work in conjunction with either the 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission of the Mustang.
“It’s not just the horsepower gains over the standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost, it’s the broader torque curve that delivers 90 percent of peak torque between 2,500 and 5,300 rpm, which is 40 percent wider than the base EcoBoost engine,” said in a statement Mustang’s chief engineer, Carl Widmann.
“Plus, horsepower holds stronger up to the 6,500-rpm redline – enabling more usable power and torque for enthusiasts and weekend autocrossers to enjoy.”
The engine upgrade is not the only modification made to the entry-level Mustang as the nameplate is getting ready to celebrate its 55th anniversary.
The new Handling Package adds semi-metallic brake pads, specially calibrated MagneRide dampers and a Torsen limited-slip rear axle. Wider 19x9.5-inch aluminum tires are also included.
Google News