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To prove its all-new V-6 engine is an engineering marvel, Ford decided to test the engine’s range on a new Mustang. Yesterday, at the Bristol International Speedway in Tennessee, the 2011 V-6 Mustang set out to travel 533 miles on a single tank, but didn’t meet its goal. It completely obliterated it, logging 776.5 miles on a single tank.
Back in March, as Ford began to drum up excitement for its new 3.7-liter V-6 Mustang, it set out to perform a seemingly impossible mileage goal. The plan was to circle Bristol International Speedway 1000 times on a single tank of fuel, but the car performed nearly 50 percent better by circling the .533-mile oval 1457 times. While the EPA estimate for a V-6 Mustang coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission is 31 mpg highway, the pony car beat that rating by a long shot, recording an amazing 48.5 mpg. Its 16 gallon tank should’ve run out of fuel after 496 miles.
“The new V-6 engine along with the advanced six-speed transmission in the car is a key element in delivering both fuel economy and performance for Mustang,” said Dave Pericak, chief engineer for the Mustang.
The team of drivers was advised about efficient driving techniques before the challenge. To achieve their goal, they limited the use of air conditioning, kept the RPMs low, and minimized abrupt stops and starts. The task took 17 hours 40 minutes to complete, with a driver swap every hour. Average speed was roughly 44 mph, helping to minimize wind resistance.
We suspect that with fewer stops and even better technique, the Mustang could possibly reach the 50 mpg mark. What do you think?
Source: Ford
I stand corrected. No Edsel here!
I’m not terribly surprised that the car beat its intended target. I’m not even that surprised at the fuel economy it achieved given the average speed. This once again proves that fuel economy is not all about the car you drive, but also extremely dependent on how you drive it.