Can 360bhp Make The Ford Mustang Ecoboost More Appealing?

The Clive Sutton CS350 is a modified Ecoboost Mustang with a power-to-weight ratio approaching that of the GT, but can it tempt us away from the GT?
Can 360bhp Make The Ford Mustang Ecoboost More Appealing?

Pros

Cons

It’s hard to argue with the logic of the 2.3-litre inline-four turbo-powered Ford Mustang. It’s not that much slower than the 5.0-litre V8 GT, and is around 80kg lighter, which is mostly trimmed from the front. This means it’s noticeably keener to turn in and is the better car to drive fast. It’s also more economical - even though the gap in efficiency between the two isn’t quite as big as Ford might have you believe.

The Ecoboost, then, is the car I should want, and yet I’d have the GT every day of the week, because if I’m to have a slice of the ‘Murican dream in Europe, it’s damn well going to make all the right rumbly noises, thank you very much.

But what if the Ecoboost had say…360bhp? That’d give it a power-to-weight ratio approaching that of the GT, but in a lighter, more agile body. Thankfully, London-based luxury car dealer Clive Sutton has whipped up an Ecoboost with exactly that output, while adding much in the way of visual baddassery to what it calls the ‘CS350’ in the form of carbonfibre.

Can 360bhp Make The Ford Mustang Ecoboost More Appealing?

We have a new front splitter, rear diffuser, side skirts and boot trim all made from the stuff. It also sits lower on KW adjustable coilovers, and gets a set of wheel spacers to give the CS350 one hell of an aggressive stance. On closer inspection those rear vents are - I’m afraid - faker than Jason Statham’s American accent, but they work quite nicely with the whole package, don’t they?

Prodding the Mustang’s starter button (no horse heart rate pulsing here, we’re in a pre-facelift car) reveals a bassier din compared to what I’m used to from the 2.3. It’s thanks to Clive Sutton’s quad exhaust, which has switchable butterfly valves that are operated via a little keychain remote.

Can 360bhp Make The Ford Mustang Ecoboost More Appealing?

Is it an improvement on the noise front? Well, it certainly sounds meatier, and it’s quiet enough for long journeys when the valves are shut, but I’m not sure it’s an especially nice noise. This isn’t a mark against the system necessarily - I’m not sure there’s much you can do to make the Ecoboost engine sound any good. Even for a four-pot, it’s never been great.

There’s no dilemma with the straight-line performance though - the 2.3’s already punchy mid-range has been given a conspicuous uplift here. Once you’re past the initial turbo lag and so long as you’re over the 3000rpm mark, the CS350 can quickly and effortlessly build speed.

There’s a pleasing amount of poke on offer here, and while the delivery still isn’t all that hugely dramatic, I have no trouble believing that this would give a stock V8 GT a run for its money. It’s just a shame the test car has Ford’s sluggish six-speed automatic transmission fitted - a six-speed manual would have been a better ‘box to showcase the CS350’s talents.

Can 360bhp Make The Ford Mustang Ecoboost More Appealing?

The newfound power (torque has also increased significantly from 320lb ft to 376lb ft) is all thanks to a new cold air intake, intercooler and ECU tune. 0-60mph now takes just 4.8 seconds, down from 5.3. Much more like it.

What we’re less convinced about is the handling. The standard Ecoboost is noticeably more agile than the GT, but it’s still not a proper sports car. A set of coilovers doesn’t really change that, while adding the annoyance of a choppy low-speed ride. The stiffer setup does mean there’s a little more life in the steering than before, but the car can feel nervous on UK-spec (read: badly surfaced) country roads owing to the unforgiving damping.

Can 360bhp Make The Ford Mustang Ecoboost More Appealing?

It’s one of Clive Sutton’s options that’s best left un-ticked - just accept that this is a cruiser rather than a back-road stormer. Or, wait until the 2018 Mustangs are here with their much improved suspension setups, then give CS a call. The firm is already formulating a plan for the facelifted cars, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results.

But even if you leave the suspension off, speccing your Mustang like the pony you see here is not a cheap business. The power pack is a relatively reasonable £3600, but the price skyrockets if you fancy the carbon trinkets. The priciest is the £1700 carbonfibre rear valance for the quad exhaust system, which, by the way, is £2340. The total price of everything fitted here? £16,491. That’s the aftermarket for you - it becomes expensive quickly, if you get carried away by shiny things.

Gets lots of attention, but most people won't realise it has a less than exotic engine under the bonnet..
Gets lots of attention, but most people won't realise it has a less than…

To answer my original question, yes: more power does increase the appeal of the Mustang Ecoboost. But for me, I’d still take my ‘Stang with a nice, noisy V8 - the four-pot version just doesn’t have the same sense of occasion even with more horsepower. It costs more to run, but if you’re getting a car like this, surely you have to do it ‘properly’?

Also, it just so happens that Clive Sutton offers a similarly priced power pack for the V8, which includes a louder exhaust. Or if you’re happy to throw a lot more money at your GT, there’s a Whipple supercharger conversion that punches the power beyond 800bhp…

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Comments

Duggan (koalafan) (koalafan7) (Esprit Team) (Z32 Group) (Lot

I would say the exhaust note would really be an important part for me

04/29/2018 - 14:47 |
13 | 0
Stubaru

I mean the engine would be lighter=better weight distribution

04/29/2018 - 14:54 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

Let’s face it, most of us will mostly get the GT over the Ecoboost,i’d do that too, because since i was a kid, i always associated mustangs with V8s, it’s an unshakable bound, and if Ford drops V8s from the Mustang line up, Mustang sales will severly drop

04/29/2018 - 14:55 |
44 | 1
Chad Fischbeck (Corvette squad)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

No they won’t. 80% of mustang sales were/are v6/ecoboost. They will drop but not by much.

04/29/2018 - 18:09 |
7 | 3
Sir Wafel (WhyBeAre of CT) (Multipla Squad) (propane)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Yep, never seen a V6 or Ecoboost Mustang around here (I mean the new Mustang). Mustangs are quite expensive here in Poland, so if you have enough money for one, there is no reason not to go for V8. Also, muscle car without a V8 doesn’t feel like a muscle car.

04/30/2018 - 07:59 |
3 | 0
Anonymous
04/29/2018 - 15:03 |
53 | 1
TheRealBouss

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

04/30/2018 - 11:12 |
9 | 0
Anonymous

Looks gorgeous

04/29/2018 - 15:15 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

No

04/29/2018 - 15:25 |
0 | 2
Ian MacDonald
04/29/2018 - 15:32 |
35 | 2

“Ridiculous body kit” may also apply due to those fake side air intakes…

04/29/2018 - 15:55 |
5 | 0

No, dual exhasts are nice

04/29/2018 - 22:53 |
2 | 0

Domestic rice ? What is it?

04/30/2018 - 04:37 |
0 | 0
DL🏁

IMO even if the V8 had 300 horsepower, I’d still take it over an EcoBoost with 360 horsepower, despite the penalty in weight and consequently handling and performance…

The Mustang is not about handling really (although it was much improved in the recent iterations) and not even power. If you want a car that handles beautifully, you buy a Lotus, a Porsche, or the likes of BMW M2, Audi TT and so on (something like the M240i realistically given the price and practicality).

You buy the Mustang because of the V8, not the performance or handling or let alone fuel efficiency.

04/29/2018 - 15:43 |
18 | 1

Isn’t the mustang about being a small and cheaper alternative to the other guys, or did we leave that in the 70s

04/29/2018 - 16:33 |
2 | 0

I agree. If I was going to get a 4 cylinder, impractical performance car, I’d get a small one that actually handles well, rather than one that’s simply lighter than the one with the larger engine.

04/29/2018 - 17:38 |
10 | 0

Exactly what I thought!

04/29/2018 - 20:52 |
1 | 0

I ran my v6 and another guy ran his 2016 GT at a track day event. He told me that braking in the GT is more of an issue with weight, but otherwise he was able to scoot around pretty quick! I was also surprised by how much I could push my car in the corners, and I just some new tires and stock suspension. Plus with how the 2018 GT and eco can get MagneRide, I wouldn’t just say that mustangs are only good for the v8 anymore. This eco could do some serious damage on a circuit.

04/30/2018 - 06:26 |
1 | 1
Klush

But when you buy a Mustang, it’s because you want a big V8 Muscle Car.

04/29/2018 - 15:45 |
10 | 0
[Flux]

In reply to by Klush

No, it’s because you want a Mustang.

04/29/2018 - 15:58 |
3 | 3
Anonymous

In reply to by Klush

If you want a big V8 muscle car, don’t buy a Mustang, because it isn’t what you’re looking for.

04/29/2018 - 16:31 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Klush

Even though the Mustang was never intended to be a muscle car.

04/29/2018 - 20:49 |
0 | 0
FLixy Madfox

Yes! Yes yes yes! Honestly Ecoboost mustangs are so underatted!

04/29/2018 - 16:15 |
3 | 1

Yes, there was even a 4 door saloon with the same engine 10 years ago

04/29/2018 - 22:08 |
2 | 2