I have heard the cries. I have seen the looks. If you have a Six Cylinder Mustang, you just don't fit in with the V8 guys and never will. Or will you?

Six cylinder Mustang's have been around since the beginning. With an inline 6, the early Mustang's were practical for anyone to drive. They got better mileage, were cheaper on insurance, and were cheaper than the V8 models(which still stands true today). With a few styling cues from the V8 'Stangs, your six-banger could look just like the street and track screamers but without all of the cost, and unfortunately all of the performance.

With the body change in 1979, sure there was still an inline 6 option and a V8 option but now a turbo 4 was also in the mix. Could it be that this new engine option would replace it's predecessor's base model motor? While the six's faded away in the mid 1980's, you could still get an SVO turbo four cylinder. While the SVO's were performers for their day, they were still expensive and most of the V8 guys still didn't recognize them as a true Mustang.

In 1994 the newly designed Mustang finally got rid of the anemic 2.3L 4-cylinder that Ford had produced for years, and introduced the 3.8L V6. Newer styling and a more potent base engine started to grow a little recognition. With the import craze hitting, the aftermarket started to take note and make headers, throttle bodies and other performance parts to give them a littler performance boost. People were starting to "hot rod" the Mustang's that the GT crowd shunned.

Then again, with the body change in 2005, more people were buying V6 Mustang's than ever. In a new larger 4.0L variety, the engine was durable, made decent power, and again the automotive aftermarket followed with loads of new parts specifically for the Mustang 4.0L V6.

Enter 2011. The all NEW 3.7L Mustang V6 is unlike any other V6 Mustang before it...ever. Sure you can joke about them missing two cylinders and being down 100 horsepower from the 2011 Mustang GT 5.0L, but if you can't look past the bias, you may be missing one of the most distinct and most fun Mustangs ever made! We have always been a follower of the V8 GT models but have heard exciting things about the new 305HP base Mustang. We needed to try one out.

With this, we decided to give it a chance; via a rental (yes, a rental) and a weekend at the Texas World Speedway! This new V6 Mustang has a lot going for it; great fuel economy, 300+ horsepower, dual exhaust, and an 8.8" rear end with traction-lok! Our rental was a performance white V6 automatic with saddle leather interior, over all a pretty nice car for a rental! 

Our first test with the new V6 was the parking lot burnout, which it passed although the factory tune kept it from showing it's true potential. Since we were taking it to the track, we dipped into our parts bin (and vendors pockets) for some help with our little borrowed V6. Our first addition was a BBK cold air intake kit. BBK has always had one of the best looking, and easiest to install cold air kits on the market and the 2011 3.7L V6 BBK cold air kit is no exception. Our second addition to the car was a custom SCT tune from BBR(Blow-By Racing). With the cold air kit and the tune, throttle response was greatly increased and the 1-2 shift was definitely firmer. The car really wanted to run especially since the speed limiter was removed! Now it’s running better, but else can we do to this Mustang V6 for the weekend?

Here is a quick video we made showing our V6 Mustang rental in action. We had lot's of fun! haha.

While we are at it, let's throw on a Magnaflow muffler delete axle back! Anyone who has a V6 Mustang wants its exhaust to sound like a V8 and we are here to tell you that the Magnaflow muffler delete, well......it didn't sound like a V8. It does sound exotic though. It reminded us of a 370Z or one of the higher revving 6's made from across the pond. It sounded very healthy and better than the stock quiet axle back. Plus, at 140mph (thanks to the tune) on the front straight of Texas World Speedway it really opened up and let out an aggressive, well balanced roar! We also added a set of Hoosier R6 sticky tires mounted on a set of SVE 10th Anniversary rims for good looks and better handling on the track.

Unfortunately, the weekend came to an end and we did have to return the Mustang to stock form and back to the rental agency.  :^(  

Our first impression of the new 2011 V6 Mustang rental we had the privilege to enjoy was this:

This car is awesome. It is Mustang through and through and can surprise even the some of the biggest skeptics. It can run like stink, especially when the rev's come up. Even though from Ford the rearend has 2.73's in it, it does have an 8.8" which will make a gear swap a snap. (Once the 2.73's start spinning though, watch out!) The BBK cold air kit and SCT BBR tune definitely helped the throttle response as well as a lot less "computer nanny" lag in between shifts. The Magnaflow Muffler delete exhaust sounded exotic and not like any other Mustang V6 we have heard, especially at speed. This base Mustang handled extremely well for being mostly stock and was predictable on the track. Everyone within Latemodel Restoration Supply was really impressed at how it ran. Through multiple sessions on track the Mustang never ran hot but the brakes did start to shimmy a bit in the later rounds, but after 2 days of solid abuse, that is typical. We give the new 2011 Mustang 3.7L V6 two big thumbs up!

 I recently stepped up and bought one of these cars for myself because I enjoyed the time in the rental so much, plus everyone up here was anxious to see what we could make happen with one. I had previously owned a 2010 Mustang GT and am really excited to see what my Ingot Silver Metallic 2011 3.7L V6 6-Speed Mustang can do with an appearance boost and on track performance parts. We have dubbed this new 2011 V6 Mustang "Project: Six Appeal". We will be throwing all kinds of new and exciting performance & appearance modifications at it, so be on the lookout for blogs and video to soon follow! We are eager to showcase what these cars can do with the right parts and look forward to taking Project: Six Appeal to a whole new level for V6 owners!