In an age where fuel economy is increasingly important, Ford engineers found a unique solution to make the new Mustang more efficient while also improving the car's handling.
Automakers spend hundreds of millions of dollars to improve new cars, but it turns out a simple strip of duct tape helped make the 2018 Ford Mustang a meaner and greener pony car.
During the development of the updated fifth-generation Mustang, engineers noticed that adding tape to the lower fascia reduced lift during high-speed cornering, so this shape helped create the new face of the 2018 Mustang.
The reduced front lift means that the front end of the 2018 Ford Mustang stays planted in corners, and that equates to a car that can turn tighter, faster, and more confidently.
As it turns out, though the more aggressive front end design (which includes a front splitter and active grille shutters) not only helps the 2018 Ford Mustang handle better at high speeds, but it also increases fuel economy by up 5.6 percent.
This big jump is on the Mustang GT with automatic transmission with EPA fuel economy of 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, but even the EcoBoost-powered models saw improvements of 4.2 percent with EPA fuel economy of 21 mpg city and up to 32 mpg highway; there were no changes for the manual-equipped GT.
With all this talk about efficiency, now would be the time to mention that the 2018 Ford Mustang GT is powered by a 5.0-liter V-8 producing 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Add that up, and it all helps this car sprint from 0-60 mph in under four seconds!
The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine lays down 310 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, and both engines are now equipped with an advanced 10-speed automatic transmission.
We're sure this style of duct tape engineering will give Camaro fanatics something to chuckle about, but they won't be laughing when they see a Mustang take off from a traffic light.
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