<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/" rel="tag">First Drive</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/01fordmustangv6fd2011opt.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Mustang V6 - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
To many, the terms "Mustang" and "high technology" are as mutually exclusive as "China" and "transparent, open society." After all, the first <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mustang">Mustang</a> rolled off the assembly line <em>before</em> the Vietnam War got under way, and in the minds of most people it hasn't changed all that much in the 4.5 decades since. Sure, every once in a while <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> will bolt a fairly high-tech motor into a special edition 'Stang (SVT, Cobra, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/shelby+gt500">GT500</a>), but for the most part the original pony car represents exactly that: the origin of the species. Especially when it comes to the base model, the until now lowly - some might say primitive - V6 iteration.<br />
<br />
For seemingly ever, Ford has been content to let its low-hanging fruit edition Mustang rot away in irrelevance. Nothing seemed to make the Blue Oval boys happier than stocking every rental car fleet in the nation with soft-riding, underpowered has-beens. Let's make that never-rans. So for the performance minded buyer, the V6 version of the Mustang never even entered the picture. Worse, do you know what car people interested in a V6 Mustang cross-shopped the most? Pat yourself on the back if you said <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/accord">Honda Accord</a> Coupe. In other words, the V6 Mustang was never a sports car.<br />
<br />
Now, along comes the 2011 model year and you can throw everything you thought you knew about Ford's entry-level pony car out the window. It simply no longer applies. Gone is the archaic, universally unloved and soon to be totally forgotten 4.0-liter V6. In its place is a very high-tech version of Ford and Mazda's 3.7-liter 60-degree V6. With it, the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 produces 305 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque, and yet returns 31 mpg on the freeway according to the EPA. In fact, as Ford was happy to tell us (quite a a few times), the 2011 V6 is the only car ever to produce 305 hp and get 31 mpg. Fabulous numbers no doubt, but they only tell part of the story. In our opinion, the Mustang V6 could be the most significant car released this year. Follow the jump to learn why.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/01fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/02fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/03fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/04fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/05fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em><strong><small>Photos by <a href="http://www.drewphillipsphotography.com/">Drew Phillips</a> / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></strong></em><em><strong><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6 rewrites the rental car rulebook</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6 rewrites the rental car rulebook</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:02:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19417382/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Mustang V6 - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
To many, the terms "Mustang" and "high technology" are as mutually exclusive as "China" and "transparent, open society." After all, the first <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mustang">Mustang</a> rolled off the assembly line <em>before</em> the Vietnam War got under way, and in the minds of most people it hasn't changed all that much in the 4.5 decades since. Sure, every once in a while <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> will bolt a fairly high-tech motor into a special edition 'Stang (SVT, Cobra, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/shelby+gt500">GT500</a>), but for the most part the original pony car represents exactly that: the origin of the species. Especially when it comes to the base model, the until now lowly - some might say primitive - V6 iteration.<br />
<br />
For seemingly ever, Ford has been content to let its low-hanging fruit edition Mustang rot away in irrelevance. Nothing seemed to make the Blue Oval boys happier than stocking every rental car fleet in the nation with soft-riding, underpowered has-beens. Let's make that never-rans. So for the performance minded buyer, the V6 version of the Mustang never even entered the picture. Worse, do you know what car people interested in a V6 Mustang cross-shopped the most? Pat yourself on the back if you said <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/accord">Honda Accord</a> Coupe. In other words, the V6 Mustang was never a sports car.<br />
<br />
Now, along comes the 2011 model year and you can throw everything you thought you knew about Ford's entry-level pony car out the window. It simply no longer applies. Gone is the archaic, universally unloved and soon to be totally forgotten 4.0-liter V6. In its place is a very high-tech version of Ford and Mazda's 3.7-liter 60-degree V6. With it, the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 produces 305 horsepower, 280 pound-feet of torque, and yet returns 31 mpg on the freeway according to the EPA. In fact, as Ford was happy to tell us (quite a a few times), the 2011 V6 is the only car ever to produce 305 hp and get 31 mpg. Fabulous numbers no doubt, but they only tell part of the story. In our opinion, the Mustang V6 could be the most significant car released this year. Follow the jump to learn why.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/01fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/02fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/03fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/04fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/05fordmustangv6fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em><strong><small>Photos by <a href="http://www.drewphillipsphotography.com/">Drew Phillips</a> / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></strong></em><em><strong><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6 rewrites the rental car rulebook</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6 rewrites the rental car rulebook</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:02:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19417382/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/29/2011-ford-mustang-v6-first-drive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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