Mustang with 4 cylinder 2.3 engine. Real 'stang?

[Electrics not for me]

Can a car with a 4 cylinder hatchback engine, with less power than the hatchback itself ever really be a Ford Mustang? Doesn't it have to be a V8 in all truth?
I've now driven one and whilst i love the car the engine left me cold.

[LuS1fer]

Electrics not for me said:

Can a car with a 4 cylinder hatchback engine, with less power than the hatchback itself ever really be a Ford Mustang? Doesn't it have to be a V8 in all truth?
I've now driven one and whilst i love the car the engine left me cold.

Yes it can because the original Mustang also had weedy six cylinder engines and, if truth be told, it is probably sales of the six cylinder that comprised the bulk of Mustang sales. I'm sure that in a falcon platform convertible, a six was probably "entertaining" enough.

I find it odd that people are happy enough with the 2.3 Ecoboost in the Focus RS but don't like it in the Mustang. My theory on this is that mdoern cars have to have quiet exhausts so the V8 will have a slight advantage though I heard a V8 S550 rev at a recent show and it was disappointing, to say the least.

I suspect what most people consider to be a "real" Mustang is a V8 with an aftermarket exhaust. I dare say that the 2.3 would sound better with an aftermarket exhaust too but such owners wprobably wouldn't bother, they want the looks.

I considered a 2.3 but for what I use it for, (having a V8 S197 in the garage), even a 2.3 is too big and a 5.0 would be plain silly.
In an ideal world, making the 2.3 a hatchback and marketing it as a sensible family coupe would have appealed to me. No, a Mach-e wouldn't....

[thebraketester]

Yes.

Next....

[David Beer]

A big fat no from me. Could only get one for Miami to key west, in feb,not known for hills ! Was so painful for the summer would have it for 31 days and said no way, V8 or forget it. Got the V8 !!

[Wheel Turned Out]

Absolutely. The Mustang name has been saddled onto all sorts of dreary nonsense over the years.

It may not be the Mustang most of us would want, but it's still a Mustang.

[Scrump]

Wheel Turned Out said:

Absolutely. The Mustang name has been saddled onto all sorts of dreary nonsense over the years.

[Wheel Turned Out]

Scrump said:

Best paired with this. Drive the laydeez wild.

[MustangGT]

Yes. It is way more a Mustang than the Mach E!!!

[Dashnine]

MustangGT said:

Yes. It is way more a Mustang than the Mach E!!!

I think my cars more Mustang than a Mach-E (it's a MG ZT 260 with an early 2000s Modular V8 as fitted to the Mustang GT of the time), and probably more than the 2.3 as well.

[MustangGT]

Dashnine said:

MustangGT said:

Yes. It is way more a Mustang than the Mach E!!!

I think my cars more Mustang than a Mach-E (it's a MG ZT 260 with an early 2000s Modular V8 as fitted to the Mustang GT of the time), and probably more than the 2.3 as well.

A future project for me is to restomod a Triumph TR6 with modern suspension and brakes and fitting a 70/80s Ford 302 with a 5 speed manual. Probably more 'stang than a MachE.