How Ford Is Making Burnouts Easier for all 2018 Mustang Owners

Ford announced this morning that the 2018 Mustang EcoBoost models will come equipped with a similar line lock feature to the one offered for the previous Mustang GT, so with the demise of the V6 – every new Mustang for the 2018 model year will make it easier for owners to smoke the tires.

The 2017 Ford Mustang GT comes with a feature called line lock and if you are somehow not familiar with line lock, here is a quick explanation.

Ford Mustang Line Lock Explained

Line lock uses an electronic system controlled from the steering wheel to literally lock the front brakes. The system works by sending brake fluid to the front calipers, which engages the brakes, then a solenoid along the front brake lines closes, holding the brake fluid in the front calipers and keeping the brakes locked even after the brake pedal has been released.

This system makes doing burnouts with the 2017 Ford Mustang GT far easier, especially with a manual transmission, since the line lock system keeps the brakes engaged while your left foot works the clutch and your right foot works the throttle. It is also useful on automatic cars, as this system prevents any unusual wear to the rear brakes that might be caused by actually holding the brake pedal down during the burnout. Ultimately, the goal of the line lock system is to make it easier to smoke the tires in the burnout box at the drag strip, but it works just as well when it comes to doing big, nasty burnouts in front of your house.

For the 2018 model year, the line lock feature – which was previously only offered in the Mustang GT and the new Shelby GT350 models – will be standard equipment in the Mustang EcoBoost as well. It should also be noted that line lock will come on every 2018 Mustang, regardless of the engine or transmission chosen.

“We introduced line-lock on EcoBoost Mustangs because we didn’t want those customers to miss out,” said Mark Schaller, Ford Mustang marketing manager. “The number of people choosing EcoBoost power continues to grow globally, and with the increased torque and new features coming on the new Mustang, customers will not be disappointed.”

2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Line Lock
The line lock system for the 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost works in the same fashion as the system on the Mustang GT from the previous model years. The system is controlled by the buttons on the steering wheel to access the line lock screen in the middle of the gauge cluster. Once the driver has engaged the line lock system, the front wheels will remain locked in place for 15 seconds – allowing plenty of time to get the rear tires good and hot at the track.

Also, in those 2018 Ford Mustangs equipped with the fully digital 12 inch gauge cluster, the line lock system includes an animated Mustang wheel doing a burnout, including smoke accumulating during the 15-second blast. (Image above)

Vaughn Gittin Jr Showcases Line Lock System With His Ford Mustang

To showcase this cool new feature of the 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost, drift champion (and Mustang driver) Vaughn Gittin Jr took a new turbo-4 pony car to Irwindale Speedway, where he taught regular drivers how to smoke the tires with the line lock system. You can check out that video below, which is chock full of tire-shredding goodness.

“Burnouts just never get old, no matter how old you are and how many times you’ve done them,” said Vaughn Gittin Jr., Formula Drift Champion. “Who would have thought that we would see an EcoBoost Mustang producing 15 seconds of fury like this? You’ve got to love these rad things Ford is doing.”

Also see: Ford Mustang GT, a Muscle Car or Luxury Car?