Doing it Wrong: Why Ford Shouldn't Scrap The V6 Mustang #blogpost

As many of you know, it’s now a rumor that Dord will be scrapping the 3.7 “Cyclone” V6 mustang from the lineup, leaving only the inline-4 eco boost and V8 GT. With the announcement of the Ecoboost, it seemed inevitable that the V6 had a replacement on the rise. The car was hyped beyond belief, being the major change for the S550 generation lineup.

The Ecoboost is a good performance car. It has balance, being a practical sports coupe with a peppy turbo four (just get the manual). It also offers the best power and torque numbers for cars south of $30,000, with the 3.7 Mustang V6 just behind it.

Even with all the good this car is, Ford would be missing a great opportunity for an even better platform by scrapping the V6, along with removing a rather desirable engine option for the consumer.

Potential

The V6 motor configuration is an oddball. It’s quite peculiar that people praise a V6 in a Nissan yet boo the prospect of one in a muscle car chassis. It offers a more balanced N/A alternative to the V8. The 3.7 cyclone is very much similar to the 5.0 coyote. Both of them were game changers compared to the older mid 2000’s motors.

The 3.7 is a platform worth modifying, and when stock rests comfortably at the 305 horsepower mark. Fun fact, it makes the same power and torque as the EJ motor found in the 2016 Subaru WRX STI.

Ford V6s

Ford themselves has V6 variants that would be amazing in a mustang application. The 2017 Ford GT is proof that the v6 platform is still worth looking at. Even the ford raptor has a 3.5 liter Ecoboost V6 that makes 450 horsepower. There are a few custom mustangs with the 3.5 liter engine swap, or just the F-150 turbos bolted on.

Why Do We Need The V6?

As you probably know, the mustang and Camaro have a bit of a rivalry going on. Chevrolet raised the bar by slapping corvette motors into all the V8 Camaro models (techniclly starting in 2014 with the LS7 powered Z/28).

Ford has to compete, so the mustang GT will get faster, Become more expensive, and ditch the prospect of manageable power. A 3.5 V6 option with 400 horsepower would be amazing, especially with a new chassis and a sports pack option.

The V6 is also still appealing to consumers. When I was looking at mustangs, my decision fell to choosing the the eco boost or V6. The I4 had more power, easy power gains because of the turbo, and better gas mileage. The v6 had guaranteed reliability, better long term modification potential, and the charm of a good sounding, N/A motor. People shopping for cars like to have options, and people still buy the V6 for multiple reasons.

Doing it right: The Chevrolet Camaro V6

Chevy is killing it right now. Rather than making the four cylinder boot out the V6, they’ve just ade the V6 better. The V6 Camaro can be bought with the 1 Le package, which is the exact same performance pack that comes on the 1 Le Camaro SS. That car blows the Ecoboost Mustang out of the water, and one ups the V6 mustang with 35 horsepower.

Ford needs to keep the V6 in the mustang lineup. It’s a charming motor that still has relevant performance and plenty of potential. If anything, the death of the 3.7 should be to update the motor. A twin-turbo Raptor 3.5 V6 would be a thrill, and up the V6 muscle car category.