Ford Mustang Shootout:
EcoBoost vs GT
Is It Time For A Domestic Project Car?

SIMILAR LOOKS, DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES

There are some subtle styling differences between the GT and Ecoboost (rear diffuser, wheels and tires and front lip among them), but both are great looking coupes that do an outstanding job of looking both modern and yet recognizably and indisputably Mustang.

As the data above illustrates, where they differ the most is in the driving style required to extract a fast lap from them, the GT needed more of a “slow in, fast out” approach because of its tendency to understeer, while the Ecoboost is much more neutral on corner entry so you can drive it into the corners with a fair bit more aggression and get back on the gas sooner and more aggressively since it doesn’t have enough power to light up the rear tires.

As a result, I found the Ecoboost was the easier of the two to drive at the limit, but it was by no means slow with a best lap time of 1:24.279. Of all the 4-cylinder turbocharged cars I’ve tested at this track, only the Mitsubishi Evolution X MR posted a quicker time (1:22.990).

Given the big puddle in the esses (Turns 4 and 5) during testing, I’m sure the Ecoboost would have broken into the 1:23’s, which is really very impressive for an affordable RWD sports coupe that tips the scales at a little over 3,500 lbs. By comparison, in stock form my ’06 Infiniti G35 coupe, also a 3,500 lbs car with very similar dimensions to the S550, managed a 1:28 and it had a higher MSRP when new than the Ecoboost Stang does. Progress is a beautiful thing.

Meanwhile, the GT turned a best lap of 1:22.069, which puts it just a half-second behind the S197 Mustang Boss 302 lap time I set a few years ago, a car Ford setup specifically as a track day special.

Considering that aforementioned puddle in the esses was forcing a much wider and slower line, I’m confident the GT would have matched the Boss’s lap time in fully dry conditions, which verifies Ford’s claim that they benchmarked the new GT against the previous gen Boss 302. Just imagine what the new GT would do with a 275 front tire and that magical clutch-type LSD from the Boss’s rear end…

HOW WOULD WE MOD THEM?

Based on this fun-filled day track testing both the GT and Ecoboost Mustang (and both cars really are a hoot to drive at the track, even in completely stock form), there were a couple changes we’d make to each right off the bat. Obviously a quality coilover suspension and wider wheels and stickier tires offer the biggest payoffs in terms of lap times, so those would certainly be among the first mods we’d do to either car.

Plus it’s impossible to deny how good this car looks sitting lowered on a more aggressive set of rolling stock. We personally loved the Full-Race Ecoboost Mustang from SEMA last year.

As I mentioned earlier and bring up a few times in our video review, the GT model’s understeer could easily be dialed out by equipping it with a 275 wide front tire. I’m confident this would give it the front end bite it needs to keep the noise tracking in the direction the steering’s aimed, and this would allow the driver to get back on the gas sooner.

I mean just look at all that room in the front wheel well! A wider front tire would let me get in touch with my inner Vaughan Gittin Jr. and do some sweet skids, too, although perhaps starting with a stiffer rear sway bar would be an easier place to chase away the understeer since it wouldn’t necessitate a costly front wheel/tire width change.

Source: http://www.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Speedhunters_RTR_Mustang_SEMA-39.jpg

There’s not a lot else the GT needs to be a killer track day car right out of the box. I would, however, add a Takata Racing 4-point belt system (Drift II or III so it’s street legal), since the optional Recaros have shoulder openings for harness straps and the added upper body support always helps the driver focus more and driving and less on fighting to stay in the seat. Plus Takata Racing makes a Quick Fit Drift II or III system for the Mustang, so installation is a breeze.

At 3,705 lbs the GT ain’t exactly a lightweight, so finding some simple ways to lighten it without destroying its refinement as a road car would also be high on our list. The back seats are fairly useless, so we might start by yanking those out, along with the spare tire, jack and trunk liners. Other places to save weight might involve a carbon fiber hood, which would also help get some weight off the nose of the car.

The Ecoboost is the better handling of the two, but its turbo-4 runs out of puff above 5,500 RPM, so we’d immediately address that with some breathing mods, meaning the usual intake, downpipe and exhaust along with an ECU retune. This would really wake up the top end of the 2.3L Ecoboost mill, giving the driver the option to use the mid-range torque to get out of corners quickly or drive it in a more traditional “race car” fashion by revving it out.

The exhaust side mods would also give the Ecoboost a bit more snarl, which is sorely lacks compared to the GT. Don’t get me wrong, the Ecoboost actually sounds surprisingly good in stock form. Ford has clearly done a lot of work to give the Ecoboost a sporty sound, but we’d bring more of its turbo character to the forefront with a Turbosmart blow-off valve.

My only other gripe with the Ecoboost was the somewhat notchy feel to its shifter, so perhaps there’s an aftermarket solution there, or even just a transmission fluid change to something higher grade would do the trick.

WHICH WOULD WE PICK?

All in all, I think it’s safe to say both Peter and I thoroughly enjoyed the S550 Mustang in both forms tested, the GT obviously offering tremendous acceleration from its V-8 and a more satisfying shifter feel from its Getrag 6-speed, while the Ecoboost offered surprising mid-range torque and superior handling balance at the limit.

If money were no object I think it’s a no-brainer to start with the GT, since that Coyote V-8 is a stunner of a motor and the potential to make even bigger power is already well documented by Ford Racing who threw a blower on one and went insanely fast in the quarter-mile. But the as-tested price tag of $55k is too rich for our blood, so I think if we’re to add a new Mustang to our project car fleet it would inevitably be the Ecoboost model, which I think I could spec out to my liking for around $30k CDN. I think it’s a great value at that price point, and an extremely tempting option given how much fun we could have turning up the boost.

Will I pull the trigger on one? Not this year. We’ve got too much on our plate as it is, but it’s entirely possible you’ll see a Mustang in our lineup of project cars come 2016. Oh, and here’s that video, just in case you’re not a Subsciber to our YouTube channel yet (what are you waiting for?! It’s free! Free, people! Do it!).