When the fourth-generation Ford Mustang debuted in 1993, it was the first major redesign of a sports car in more than 15 years. It was based on a modified version of Ford’s rear-wheel-drive Fox platform and introduced a new design language with a slimmer body. For the 1999 model year, the Mustang was facelifted with a new sharper look and a more powerful Mustang GT model.
The 4.6-liter V8 under the hood gained a new head design and other enhancements and as a result, peak output increased to 260 horsepower (190 kilowatts) from 225 hp (168 kW) for the 1998 model year. By today’s standards, the figures- these numbers aren’t quite impressive and the engine is often criticized for providing inadequate performance, especially when compared to the larger displacement V8 used in the Chevrolet Camaro. The 4R70W four-speed automatic transmission doesn’t help its performance either.
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In stock form, the 2000 Mustang GT wasn’t the most powerful of vehicles but how many of those ponies are still alive today? To find out, the team at Late Model Restoration (LMR) active channel Youtube plug a 2000 Mustang GT in the dyno to measure the output. The vehicle is almost completely stock aside from the Dorman intake manifold. It also has the aforementioned four-speed automatic gearbox.
As you’d expect, the dyno run is pretty smooth. The car is put into second gear and the chart shows a peak output of 199.6 hp (146.8 kW) at 4,700 rpm and 225.1 pound-feet (305.2 Newton-meters) of torque at 4,700 rpm at the crank. Not the result we were expecting and the video host explained this was most likely due to the Dorman intake manifold, which seems inadequate for this particular vehicle. Owners of the red Mustang will likely replace it with a Ford Racing part and it will be interesting to see what the dyno readings will show after the modification.
As a final note, we would like to remind you that a new Mustang will be launching soon. Ford has confirmed the new pony car will arrive next month and we want to know how much power its V8 will make. Below you can watch a spy video with a prototype of the new model.
Note: Photo of the 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra.
