2018 Ford Mustang Power Increases Announced, 0-60 in Under 4 Seconds

Ford Motor Company has finally announced the official power ratings for the 2018 Mustang in both EcoBoost and GT form, with the new 2.3L EcoBoost jumping up to 370lb-ft of torque while the 5.0L V8 climbs to 460 horsepower and 420lb-ft of torque – allowing the Mustang GT to dash from 0-60 in under 4 seconds.

We have known since January that the 2018 Ford Mustang would offer improved performance over the current models, with the promise of more torque for the 2.3L EcoBoost and the 5.0L V8 while the V8 also was planned to get more horsepower. Today, at long last, we learned just how much more powerful the 2018 models will be and the numbers are impressive, as the new Mustang GT will be the most powerful to ever of its type while the new Mustang EcoBoost is officially the most powerful base engine ever.

2018 Ford Mustang Power Levels
The 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost will deliver 310 horsepower and 350lb-ft of torque, up 30lb-ft from the 2017 Mustang EcoBoost. With the V6 engine being removed from the option list, the 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder is now the base engine and these power levels make the 2018 base model Mustang the most powerful entry level model ever.

Also, with the promise of a 0-60 time in below 5 seconds, the 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost is also the quickest base model Mustang ever.

More importantly, the 2018 Ford Mustang GT with the 5.0L V8 will deliver 460 horsepower and 420lb-ft of torque – up from 435hp and 400lb-ft of torque in the 2017 Mustang GT. When this 460hp V8 is mated to the new 10-speed automatic transmission, Ford promises that the 2018 Mustang GT will dash from 0-60 in less than 4 seconds. While we don’t know the exact number, this means that when the 5.0L-powered Mustang is in Drag Mode, it will hit 60 miles per hour in no more than 3.9 seconds. The current Mustang GT takes roughly 4.5 seconds to get to 60 from a stop.

While the added power helps, a big part of that insane acceleration is the 10-speed automatic transmission, which offers lightning-quick shift times and more aggressive gearing for low end pull. An aggressively geared transmission has made a big difference for the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro, so the Mustang is the last one to the party – but it pays off in a big way.

“Typically, when you shift gears, you give up time,” said Widmann. “In Drag Strip mode, the engine torque doesn’t drop when you’re shifting. You get peak engine torque and horsepower straight through thanks to our new Ford-built 10-speed transmission.”

Of course, in addition to the added power and performance, the 2018 Ford Mustang features a revised exterior design, so when these models begin reaching showrooms later this year – we could see yet another sales spike for the Ford pony car.

More importantly, with a stronger, quicker 2018 Ford Mustang, the next shot has been fired in the modern horsepower war. The Ford Mustang GT now offers more power than the Camaro SS while the base model Mustang EcoBoost should be significantly more powerful than the base model Camaro.