About the Mustang V6 05
Most people with a passing knowledge of ponycar history know that, while V-8 models get all the glory, they're usually far outsold by six-cylinder models. That was true in 1964, and it was true when Ford reincarnated the classic first-generation Mustang in 2005. Proof: In 2005, Ford sold more V-6, automatic-transmission coupes with dark charcoal interiors than it did all GT coupes combined. All told, Ford produced enough V-6 Mustangs in 2005 to sell one to each and every person in Trenton, New Jersey. That would have been worth seeing.
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Basics
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The 2005 model year was the first for the fifth-generation -- 2005 to present -- Mustang. Based on Ford's brand-new S197 chassis, this generation Mustang was the first in more than 25 years not based on some version of the Fox chassis. Actually, the S197 wasn't quite as "brand-new" as Ford billed it; it was based loosely on the DEW chassis underpinning the 2000 Jaguar S-Type and Lincoln LS, and the latest Jaguar XF. The S197 chassis itself was a huge improvement over the outgoing SN95, but it was the new car's styling that really turned the world on its head. One popular theory has it that the new Mustang's styling direction had a lot to do with the vehicular star of 2000's "Gone in 60 Seconds." Never ones to miss a trend, Ford certainly took notice of the public's instant love affair with Cage's Eleanor; then again, it might only be coincidence that Ford "leaked" design sketches for the new Mustang barely a year after Eleanor hit theaters.
Powertrain
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Ford's Cologne V-6 is a surprisingly ancient design -- the modern engine is a direct evolution of the 2.0-liter V-6 Ford introduced in 1964. The Cologne went through a few updates over the years, the latest of which being an increase in displacement to 4.0 liters in 1990, and the introduction of overhead-cam cylinder heads in 1997. The version used in 2005-to-2010 Mustangs used a variable-length intake and 9.7-to-1 compression to produce 210 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 240 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 rpm. The base-model Mustang mated to a Tremec T-5 five-speed manual transmission, and sent power through 3.31-to-1 rear gears. The Mustang's optional 5R55S four-speed overdrive transmission was another updated survivor from a bygone era; it derived from the old-school C3 transmission found under almost every rear-drive Ford passenger car built since 1972.
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Dimensions
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The fifth-generation Mustang measures 187.6 inches long, 74 inches wide and 54.5 inches tall, and featured 5.7 inches of ground clearance. It uses a 107.1-inch wheelbase, a 62.8-inch front track and a slightly wider 63-inch rear track. In coupe form, the V-6 model from 2005 weighed in at 3,440 pounds -- about 10 pounds less than the V-8 model. Specifying a convertible roof tacked those pounds on and then some, though; convertible V-6 models tipped the scales at about 250 pounds heavier than coupes.
Performance and Consumer Data
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Interesting fact: the 4.0-liter Cologne V-6 produced exactly the same horsepower as the 1994 GT model's 5.0-liter V-8. Small surprise then that this car should turn in respectable performance: it hit 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, and ran through the quarter in 15.3 seconds at 91 mph on the way to its 113 mph governed top speed. The V-6 produced a mediocre 0.79 g of lateral acceleration, and required 189 feet to stop from 70 mph. Equipped with a manual transmission, the V-6 Mustang returned 17 city and 26 highway mpg. Specifying an automatic cost owners a considerable 3 mpg on the highway -- exactly the same as a V-8 manual. In 2013, you can pick up a good-condition V-6 coupe for $7,000 to $8,000. A convertible top will cost you another $1,000 or so, which puts a fully loaded convertible V-6 very close in cost to a basic GT coupe. That's a tough decision for some buyers, not so much for others.
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