As we learned back in January, Ford has a big mid-cycle update in store for the 2018 Mustang pony car, featuring bold new looks, a reworked V8 for the GT model, and more. It’s a bit early for all this, given that the S550 generation was just introduced for the 2015 model year, but prudent if the Blue Oval hopes that its blue-collar sports car can match the spunk of Chevrolet’s latest Camaro. That car, in SS form, has an edge in both weight and horsepower, leaving the Mustang GT to lick its wounds in most one-on-one performance comparison tests.
Ford has yet to announce horsepower or torque ratings for its new 5.0-liter Coyote V8, but we do know that the engine now features dual fuel injection, with gasoline being squirted in both at the intake ports and directly into the combustion chambers. And recently, we found an interior picture of the 2018 Ford Mustang GT’s gauge cluster that shows an elevated engine redline of around 7,500 RPMs. That’s 500 RPM higher than on the 2017 model, and just 750 rpm shy of the shrieking 5.2-liter Voodoo motor in the range-topping Shelby GT350.
This crucial detail was uncovered by a photograph of a gauge cluster on forum Mustang6G.com, taken and uploaded by a contributor who managed to catch a group of 2018 Mustangs out for a shoot in Austin, Texas. The tachometer in the pic clearly shows a 7,500-rpm redline, and the badging on the outside of the car identifies it as a GT.
Importantly, that new, higher redline could help the refreshed Mustang GT achieve a greater power rating than the outgoing model, as an engine’s horsepower is derived from its torque and rotational speed. On the current Coyote engine, horsepower begins to fall off after about 6,500 rpm, but assuming Ford shifts or extends the torque curve, peak horsepower could arrive later and measure greater.
The Chevrolet Camaro SS is rated at 455 HP, to the Mustang GT’s 435 peak. Will Ford squeeze another 20 HP out of a smaller-displacement engine to match GM’s stalwart stead? We’ll have to wait to find out.