Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Rumormill


Ford has certainly upped the ante in the Mustang/Camaro wars for 2011. Chevrolet may have the upper hand in V8 power (Camaro is rated at 426 horsepower, Mustang GT at 412), but the base 'Stang now uses a 305-hp V6, boasting slightly more power (one horsepower, to be exact) and better fuel economy (31 miles per gallon) over a comparable six-pot Camaro.

Even though the 2011 Mustang V6 only carries a touch more power and efficiency, Chevrolet isn't going to just sit back and take it all in stride. An inside source has told Automobile that the Mustang's top honors may be short lived, and that details on the 2011 Camaro will arrive in the very near future. We don't think that General Motors will have much trouble cranking out a couple extra ponies from the Camaro's 3.6-liter V6, but can it surpass the Mustang's 31 mpg highway rating? Consider our interest piqued.


Gallery: The Joy of Six: 2010 Chevy Camaro V6 RS



[Source: Automobile]Report: GM working on more powerful V6 for 2011 Camaro? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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Giving the V6 say 310HP should be no problem. When it comes to fuel economy perhaps they should make an option that has high gearing.

 

does anyone find it odd that for all these years the mustang had like 185 horse in the v6 and barely 300 in the mustang, and suddenly once the camaro comes back, it ups the hp by 100 in both models. if i were a ford guy i would feel shafted over the last ,however many years. like ford had this power the whole time, yet was giving their customers crap for power.

 

I don't feel shafted at all.

Nice try though.

 

nice try? im not trying to do anything here. i just find it weird that they unlock this power now, yet before, with the 4.6, they couldnt get any decent numbers.

 

The 5.0 started development about 2 years ago. The 3.7, not in the newest form, has been in existance since the 2009MY.

Thus, nothing has just been sitting around, while Ford shafted all of their fans with lower powered options.

We all have to remember that Mulally has only been around for a few years. The fruits of his product development labor are just now being felt.......... witnessed by 9 new engines for 2010. Up until he came in, and righted the ship, that was the listing USS Ford, engine development was pretty tepid.

So yah, there is alot happening in a short period of time. It just makes up for how little happened for so long.

 

i know the motors arent new, but what has kept them from getting these numbers out of the gt and v6 in past models? lack of competition? lack of knowledge? interest? or just being cheap on the car and not putting in money when it wasnt needed? especially without any competition.

 

I would say that lack of competition and lack of funding.

You have to remember that until Mulally came around, Ford was, arguably, in worse shape than GM. Mulally had to fix Fords financials and get product development rolling again.

Or, maybe you could just say that it was the mindset. "Old" Ford, like "old GM," worked on a "its good enough," philosiphy. Fords product philosophy since Mulally, is class leading, or nothing (even if class leading only lasts a few weeks/months).

It just really emphasizes just how screwed up both of these companies were.

 

Lack of competition. Ford could have used the 3.5L DOHC years ago, just choose to stick with the cheaper weaker 4.0L. If the Camaro had not come back I suspect the Mustang might have moved over to the 3.5L by now but it wouldn't be getting the 31mpg it is now. MPG and HP were both driven by the need to out do the Camaro.

 

Actually, some of my understanding of the 4.0, has to do with the European unions, and appeasing them. They had to promise production until a certain timeframe.

 

If anything we're the ones that should feel shafted. At least the Ford fans have had a ponycar they could purchase for the last seven years.

 

Yeah and I am really shafted as there will be no more Firebirds.

 

The non-owners of late model cars always feel shafted at some point...

 

you could say that. but i would feel worse knowing i have a brand new car and its lack of effort (all across the board) really kills the heritage and name of the car.

 

How's this for you. Back before the internet was big, I bought a brand new fully loaded top-dog 1995 Camaro Z/28 in August 1995. I settled for green and an automatic because the dealer couldn't located a red M6 for me.

A month later the 1996 Camaros came out, and available was the Camaro SS... the new top dog.

Look up "shafted" in the dictionary and my smiling face will be looking back at you.