FORD MUSTANG 2.3 ECOBOOST CABRIOLET
by Tony Yates
Towards the end of last year, I tested the V8 Mustang
– a car that for me has it all. It’s a car that makes you
smile, it’s a car that makes you happy and it’s a car
that will pretty much make anyone who comes into
contact with it go all giddy with excitement.
So, with the Mustang 2.3 EcoBoost now sitting on my drive, has Ford gone
and ruined it by fitting it with smaller engine? Well, the answer is no, basically.
And the reason for this is simple; the Mustang is probably one of the most
iconic cars of its time and no matter what’s under the bonnet - people will
always love a Mustang. Of course if you try this with the likes of the Ford
Focus RS for instance, then you might as well drive it into the nearest river.
Power and Efficiency: My test car was powered by a 2.3-litre engine with
direct injection and twin-scroll turbocharger. Max power comes in at 317PS
with the addition of 432Nm of torque. Max speed is also around 145mph
and a 0-62 time of around 5.8sec (manual gearbox). Of course I know we
all want a V8 Mustang in our lives – but there are some of us that want the
economy side too. So in keeping with that, Ford went that one step further
and installed the EcoBoost engine which has been specially tuned to combine
the performance you would expect from a Mustang, but with better fuel
economy to keep all those green people happy. Plus, as much as I love a V8 -
I’m not against the 2.3 – because I also want a car to be usable without
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