Last Auto News - 2011 Mustang GT Nets 26 MPG, Makes 412 HP

Last Auto News -

The muscle car wars are heating up in a big way. Along with its 2011 redesign, the Ford Mustang GT will be more fuel efficient and powerful.

Ford has announced that the new Mustang GT will net a city/highway fuel economy of 17/26 mpg when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and 18/25 mpg with its available six-speed automatic. And, as previously reported, its legendary 5.0-liter V8 engine is back — but now with a whopping 412 horsepower.

“If you ask us, that kind of horsepower alone in an everyman-car like the Mustang is astounding enough,” writes USA Today. “But to get respectable gas mileage — not great, for sure — is a nice bonus.”

According to Autoblog: “These numbers are not only a huge improvement from the 2010 Mustang with the 4.6-liter V8 (15/23 mpg w/manual, 15/22 mpg w/automatic), but they also best the figures achieved by the Chevrolet Camaro SS - 16/24 mpg when equipped with a manual and 16/25 mpg with the automatic.”

More horsepower is a welcomed change too. The 412-horsepower GT will provide 97 more horses than the 2010 model — that’s more power than the Dodge Charger RT and Challenger RT, as well as the base Camaro. The performance trims of each – namely the Camaro SS, Challenger SRT8 and Charger SRT8 — produce roughly 13 more horsepower than the 2011 GT. However, none can top its fuel economy.

The announcement comes just one week after Ford’s jaw-dropping announcement about the base model of the 2011 Mustang. “Ford says the V6-powered Mustang has been certified by the EPA to deliver 30-31 mpg on the highway (depending on the transmission) and 19 mpg in the city,” explains Autoweek. “Ford says this is the first time anyone has delivered a car with more than 300 hp and better than 30 mpg.”

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.