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2011 Mustang GT 5.0 "Under-Rated HP Numbers"

23K views 41 replies 30 participants last post by  dafreeze 
#1 · (Edited)
I thought all my fellow Mustang brethren (including ladies) you might be interested to hear some good news since we all have heard so much bad news lately about Ford's inability to deliver 2011 Mustang's in a timely manner I think the wait will be worth it in the end. :winks

You may have already heard the 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 was under-rated by Ford. Well according to Popular Hot Rodding's August 2010 print edition which is currently available we can now rest assured the new 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 is well under-rated by Ford. According to Popular Hot Rodding, "Then there is there's the 412hp 5.0L V-8. Simply put, Ford is out-right lying. Preliminary chasis dyno testing puts rear wheel output closer to 395 hp, which means this sweet mill is cranking out closer to 460 at the flywheel". :worship

Trust me this new 5.0 'Stang is well worth the long, agonizing and very frustrating wait for the return of such an iconic and legendary car as the 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 certainly is. After taking a 15 year hiatus the 5.0 is back and boy is it back! For those of you still waiting you will NOT be disappointed I promise you that! :)

I wish each and every one of my fellow Mustang brethren the VERY best as this new 'Stang as I believe when we all look back on the return of the legendary 2011 5.0 Mustang it will by very symbolic in the overall history of the Mustang since this car is truly a masterpiece! Take care and good luck to everyone! Jack :bigthumbsup
 
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#6 ·
yes these do really haul ass and also in the july of 2010 muscle mustangs & fast fords magazine they track tested a california special 5.0 mustang. Still on the factory tires they made a pass of 12.69 then backed it up with a hot lap of 12.72 at 112.49. They then switched to so m/t drag radials they were able to run a 12.342 at 110.77mph with a 60 ft. of 1.82. So the stock mustang is very capable of consistent 12's
 
#4 ·
HP Clarification...

Hey stlwagon, I believe most 6 speed manuals will put that much HP to the rear wheels due to the reduced parasitic loss of the manual vs the automatic transmisison equipped cars. Trust me, I own a 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 6 speed manual with 3.73 gears and this new 'Stang directly compares to my 2010 Shelby GT 500 in terms of brute acceleration (0-60 and 1/4 mile quickness) and seat of the pants feel. This car is truly 'AWESOME'! Jack :bigthumbsup
 
#5 ·
I'm sure it's quick but it's still going to lose 12-15% right off the top. That's just physics. Ford has never grossly underestimated HP before so I doubt that they've started with the 2011s. Keep in mind that there is often a huge variation between cars. I've seen 4.6 bone stock dynos vary by as much as 45 rwhp.
 
#15 ·
I'm sure it's quick but it's still going to lose 12-15% right off the top. That's just physics. Ford has never grossly underestimated HP before so I doubt that they've started with the 2011s. Keep in mind that there is often a huge variation between cars. I've seen 4.6 bone stock dynos vary by as much as 45 rwhp.
Yeah right, and the '69 428 Cobra Jet only made 335 HP as FMC listed it did.
 
#7 ·
Amazing!

I suppose it depends on who tests it. And where its tested. I dont remember who ran a 13, I just remember their car came in and they took it to the track "as is"

An off the showroom car that runs 12's. Good to see in this age of ding dong cars. :D

Sadly they cost too much for me, even to look at. lol
 
#8 ·
yea its printed with those numbers from mm&ff i was in aww when i read the article ive been waiting for this car since i have heard about it now im very tempted to trade in my lincoln ls and pull all my money from all my accounts to buy one of these new 5.0 just so i can park it next to my 93 gt.
 
#9 ·
Just to clarify again...I agree with you stlwagon there is a variation among cars due to gearing, type of dyno used to measure rwhp, weather, transmission type, etc. However according to Edmunds Inside Line (see appended link) they were able to put down 395 rwhp in a preproduction 2011 Mustang as well and they concluded "Clearly, the 395 rwhp figure we measured is of particular interest since it implies one of two things -- either Ford is being conservative with its 412-hp flywheel rating, or the preproduction example we tested is unusually healthy. We're leaning toward the former, but we won't know for sure until we test a production 2011 Mustang. One thing's for certain -- the reprise of the Mustang 5.0 is shaping up to be a strong pony". I truly believe the manual tranny cars are putting down close to 395 rwhp or around 450-460 hp at the flywheel.

Also, BadFish Motor Trend (see attached link) tested a 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 and was able to run a 12.70 at 111.3 MPH on street radials, 6 speed manual tranny and 3.73 gears and Evolution performance was able to break into the 12.60's with a totally stock off the showroom 'Stang. These cars should not be underestimated. They are far and above the typical stock-for-stock pre-2011 5.0 'Stangs. These cars are truly superior in EVERY way. This new 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 in bone stock form will run 12.30's all day long with sticky tires according to MM&FF, Evolution Performance and by all the other true racing performance enthusiasts that know how to drive this BEAST. Thanks for listening and I appreciate your comments and feedback. Take care, Jack :bigthumbsup

Inside Line Dyno-Tests the 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

YouTube - Comparison: 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 vs 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS vs Dodge Challenger SRT8!

Evolution Performance - First 2011 Mustang GT 5.0L 4V To Run 11's! - Page 2 - WVStreets Forums
 
#11 ·
I have to agree with this. I doubt very seriously that the manuals are putting down that much to the wheels. I've already seen where people have put down 360rwhp which sounds right. Its nice to think that the stock car has that much but its just not reality IMO. We'll see though.
 
#13 · (Edited)
#14 ·
ok time out. this was addressed in the most recent MM&FF or 5.0.

the transmission in the new 5.0 is brand new, and has a 1:1 5th gear instead of the traditional 4th. by running on the dyno in the traditional 4th, you will see significantly higher numbers than running it in the correct 5th. a lot of guys throwing them on they dyno are running it in 4th and getting those ridiculously high numbers.
 
#34 ·
Very true - I was looking throughout the threads to post this, but you beat me to it.
 
#16 ·
I wouldn't keep advertising that...the insurance companies will re-evaluate their premiums (i.e. raise them)...Ford and Chevy did that during the muscle car days and customers paid dearly through their noses for insurance...
 
#17 ·
its all good; all i know is the bowtie boys over on the camaro sites are going WTF*&^*&*%#*!? OVER!!!!!
 
#18 ·
I have seen 365 to 373.

No doubt they are under-rated...but they probably come in closer to 420-430 with some head room left so that "bad examples" still make it in at or close to the advertised 412.

Ford has already been doin this for years on previous mustangs.

Early dynos/estimates had 2010s coming in at closer to 340 at the crank even though they are only rated for 315

See here: Ford Mustang Forums

"Strictly Performance stumbled across some numbers that should be a welcome sight in the performance community. Pushing the Mustang through paces on the dyno, they found that it produced 280 horsepower at the wheels, which may be a indication that the ratings should be closer to 340 horsepower from the factory. It is hard to comprehend why Ford would under rate the Mustang’s capability but now you know exactly what you are getting.?

Edit: i just realized what ever bone head was using 18% loss..he must have thought the mustangs have IRS...loll...figureing it at %13 for a live rear axle has it at 316.4 which is nearly perfect with fords rating.


So this is nothing new, i wouldnt be suprised to see examples of 2011s over 430 or 435...but that would be about the highest. 460 is just spreading false rumors.

Now to whom ever said it felt similiar to their shelby...well it should. My brothers shelby weighs an INSANE amount more..only makes 500hp and has 3.31s.... It does not suprise me at all that you would compare it to a slighly older shelby in terms of performance "feel".

This site has a 5.0 dyno'ing at 340hp at the wheels. Using 13% here would put it at only 384 rwhp

On The Dyno: 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 « Magnacharger's Blog

...so the true numbers are all over the board.
 
#19 ·
Is this motor SAE certified? Back in 08, when the new LS3 motored C6 came out, the dyno races were in full force. Depending on the dyno, usually a dynojet, a mn6LS3 dynoed around 380-385rwhp SAE, give or take. Some exceptional dyno runs were in the 390rwhp range, even a few around 400rwhp stock. Claims of the motors making 460bhp were all over the place. Problem was the motor's were SAE certified which meant:

About SAE J1349 Certified Power

Power and torque certification provide a means for a manufacturer to assure a customer that the engine they purchase delivers the advertised performance. This SAE Standard has been written to provide manufacturers with a method of certifying the power of engines to SAE J1349 or SAE J1995. Document SAE J2723 specifies the procedure to be used for a manufacturer to certify the net power and torque rating of a production engine according to SAE J1349 or the gross engine power of a production engine according to SAE J1995. Manufacturers who advertise their engine power and torque ratings as Certified to SAE J1349 or SAE J1995 shall follow this procedure. Certification of engine power and torque to SAE J1349 or SAE J1995 is voluntary, however, this power certification process is mandatory for those advertising power ratings as "Certified to SAE J1349".

The whole my dyno is faster than your dyno is really a waste of time I think. The track is where it is at and the LS3 didn't quite measure up to those high dyno numbers. Regardless of what the 5.0 makes on a dyno, it can run at the track. Faster than a C5 (non Z06) and almost as quick as the LS2 C6 (the quickest recorded on stock tires are in the 12.2@115 range). The new 5.0 has track bragging rights IMO :)
 
#20 ·
guys, did you read my first post? if you dyno the 5.0 in 4th, you really aren't getting an accurate measurement of the rwhp. since 5th gear in the 5.0 is a 1:1 drive ratio, they really should be dynoed in 5th. in my most recent 5.0 magazine, a manual 2011 dynoed at like 30rwhp more in 4th than it did in 5th, but for a chassis dyno, the accurate reading will only be obtained in 5th.
 
#21 ·
Most of these places are pulling the dyno in fourth and correcting for the gears, because in 5th they are running way to much tire speed for the dyno. The rear tires are pulling around 150 mph, the dyno operators are not comfortable with that. Still, by correcting for the gears (in fourth), it should still be accurate.
 
#23 ·
Still, by correcting for the gears (in fourth), it should still be accurate.
but these places getting like 390rwhp aren't correcting their chassis dynos for the gear change. that's why everybody thinks that the 5.0 is so underrated. now don't get me wrong, it's a true beast, but it isn't Mr Hyde for god's sake.
 
#25 ·
If this is true, which I am hopeful of, it will not be a secret very long.. Once the larger speed shops really get some time with the cars and tunes as well as the 1/4 m racing continues this summer... Everyone will know how fast or not our cars are as pure stock...

We shall see, still the new 5.0 looks to be a really great step forward for our Stangs...

:bigthumbsup
 
#27 ·
The 5.0 might be slightly underrated, but I do not agree that it is by 50-60 hp . Look at all the dyno testing the guys selling the parts have done. They have been getting around the 360 rwhp stock in most cases. I am running a Brenspeed 94 tune and CAI. They told me it would probably be making in around 390 RWHP and a long tube header addition would reach the 420 rwhp. I believe them.
 
#28 ·
This is an old thread...

Most manual dyno numbers are around the 370-375 range stock, at least that is what I've seen.

If you do the math that puts the flywheel hp at around 430 hp assuming a 15% drivetrain lose.

Seems about right, you don't want to rate it too close otherwise you end up with another case of the 2000 cobra (or was it 2001).
 
#29 ·
My 3.73 car put down 367 SAE rwhp showroom stock with 400 miles on it. It went 12.7 @ 112 in this condition.

99 Cobra was the one that was down on power.
 
#31 ·
I remember the 99' Cobra ordeal and this thread. For what its worth my 2011 5.0 put down 363 on a Dynojet dyno as stock. It put down just under 418/398 with all the goodies on a Dynojet dyno at Brenspeed. 55hp gain with header back exhaust, CAI and emailed Steeda tune. The A/F was very safe so now I plan on getting a more aggressive dyno tune for the track and tuned for 100 octane fuel.
 
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