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The Ford Mustang hit the market in 1964 and since 1978, the Mustang has outsold the Chevy Camaro, which first went on sale in 1966. In fact, Chevy eventually halted production of the Camaro in 2002 after 35 years of making the car. But as American drivers become increasingly conscious over fuel consumption, those tables are starting to turn.
In April 2009, Chevy revived its popular muscle-car as the Fifth Generation Camaro. The new 2010 Chevy Camaro, which sports a 3.6-liter V6 engine in the LS and LT models for an output of 304 horsepower and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. Sales of the new Camaro has topped the Mustang in U.S. sales every month since June 2009.
According to Steve Ling, Ford’s car marketing director, fuel economy has a lot to do with buyers choosing the Camaro of the Mustang. The current 4-liter V-6 Ford Mustang engine gets about 26 miles per gallon on the highway and puts out 210 horsepower, according to Edmunds.com. The 2011 Ford Mustang aims to change that.
According to Bloomberg, Ford plans on rolling out “a smaller, more powerful V-6 engine that increases fuel efficiency.” The new Mustang engine will be a 3.7-liter engine and generate 305 horsepower for 31 miles per gallon of highway driving. The difference in engine size and efficiency between the new Camaro and the upcoming Mustang are of incredibly small magnitude – but it might just be enough to sway the competition back into Ford’s court. In addition to the improve fuel economy, the Mustang is slated to feature a six-speed transmission in automatic or manual, dual exhaust, revised suspension, EPAS and larger disc brakes. Currently, a six-speed manual transmission is standard for the 2010 Chevy Camaro.
The Mustang will be unveiled on December 2 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the 2011 Mustang with the new V-6 engine will go on sale in the first half of 2010. Bloomberg reports that, although the Mustang-Camaro competition is heated, it’s “mostly about image and bragging rights, because sports cars make up just 2 percent of U.S. auto sales.” Meanwhile, Chevy plans on debuting the North American version of its Chevy Cruze at the L.A. Auto Show, a fuel efficient compact car that is meant to rival the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. On both fronts, it appears the fuel economy remains a heavy focus for the upcoming cars for the new year.
