'05 v6 200hp vs. '91 5.0 lx coupe 225hp

Ok guys and gals, please dont laugh.....

I've had 3 Mustangs, the last was my only v8, a 1991 5.0 lx coupe that was stolen years ago.

Now having read these threads I'm getting the itch again. So let me tap your great knowledge.

I see that the 05 v6 will put out 200hp (official but is that under-rated?) which is within 12.5% of my old 91 lx 5.0 coupe that put out 225hp (official but was that under-rated?), which would be very acceptable to me, especially if ride and handling were superior in the 05.

But what do ya'll think is the real power difference?

Where does torque fit in to the equation?

I'm a Mustang enthusiast who looks forward to going to work and running errands just for the drivin'.

I just love the drivin' experience, but I dont care about the track or strip, eventhough I have great respect for all the mods and improvements that have trickled out to the masses from what racers have brought to the stock car game.

Thanks for your valued opinions and time!
 
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66Satellite said:
Torque is huge part of the equation. Also your old LX was quite a bit lighter than the new car will be. I'd stick with the V8 or you might be disappointed.

closer comparison for 05 V6 is the 96-98 GTs, less hp, way less torque, and similar weight. The 05 V6 will give them a tough run. As far as the 5.0 LXs... I would think they'd be faster than the 05 V6 for a lot of reasons (weight, torque, revs, small hp advantage, etc)
 
If you are intrested in getting a V6 why not wait until the 3.5 liter V6 is ready. It should be putting out more power. Then again by that time I'm sure used GTs will be readily available.
 
I raced an 86 GT (215HP?). We began at a 20MPH roll and he got the jump on me. I edged up and was door to door with him till about 80 when I started to edge him out. He let off before I actually passed. Don't think it was modded at all. I have 3:73's, 2.5" exhaust and a diablo.

I bought my 2002 6 because it reminded me of my own 86 5.0. It does have less torque, but the over all sound, feeling and characteristics of the car are very similar... until you rev past 3000 RPM of course. I don't know how well Ford will tune the 4.0 for sound, but they have done a fine job with the 3.8 for what it is.

Z.
 
Are you talking about a manual or automatic trannie?

If you are comparing autos, the 05 has a 5 speed with a much taller 1st gear which will make a huge differenc over the old 4 speed auto.

Also, was your old LX stock? What was the rear end ratio in it as compared to the 3.33 in the 05 V6?
 
Peak horsepower tells little about an engine's actual performance.

Look at the torque to RPM curves for the V6 and 5.0. The 5.0 makes a huge amount of torque beginning low in the rev range and the curve is relatively flat, meaning the average torque developed throughout the rev range is quite close to the peak of 275-300 ft-lb. Look at the V6 dyno graph, and it probably shows a torque curve that is weak at first and rises till it peaks at a high RPM. Even if it developed the same peak torque as the 5.0, its average torque is probably much less. So if this is the case, the V6 is probably tuned to develop a high horsepower output by developing torque at high RPM (for advertising purposes undoubtedly), with little regard for overall performance. I don't know what kind of torque the V6 makes, though, so look up those graphs to compare for yourself...

Two cars with an equal weight and peak horsepower output will have the same rate of acceleration so long as the engine remains at or near the peak power RPM... However, if (for example) you ran a race in one gear starting off idle and ending at say 5,000 RPM, it is possible for a car with a peak power output of say 200hp to out-accelerate a similar car of say 250 hp if the former car makes good power at all engine speeds while the latter is only tuned to squeeze out every last bit within a narrow powerband. So for street use where you like an engine that pulls hard whether you're puttering along or revving the piss out of it, car A is more fun to drive.
 
But what do ya'll think is the real power difference?

Where does torque fit in to the equation?


Your post has mixed signals, though you did say you were not interested in track performance... my bad, my post was one example of torque and power vs. 5.0 performance and the over all sound and feeling of the car from my own experience.

Go rent or test drive a 3.8 V6. Multiply that experience by about 1.5 to 2X better in the area for handling to get a bare bones idea of what it MAY be like for the 05; more like 5X probably. You are asking for info that is not available to the public. I'm pretty happy with my 02 V6, but you are not going to get any answer here that will satisfy YOU until the 05 is actually available.


On Edit: The power band for torque on the 3.8 V6 is not high up in the RPM range. You hit full TQ @ 2800 RPM. I have not bothered to see if HP and TQ specs are available for the 4.0, but I'm sure it will be close to the same. The V6's FEEL like the old 5.0's down low despite the 40+ lower TQ rating because of where in the RPM range the power comes in. It also holds it very well right to 5500; where it hits its peak HP.

Z.
 
Xaranthu said:
On Edit: The power band for torque on the 3.8 V6 is not high up in the RPM range. You hit full TQ @ 2800 RPM. I have not bothered to see if HP and TQ specs are available for the 4.0, but I'm sure it will be close to the same. The V6's FEEL like the old 5.0's down low despite the 40+ lower TQ rating because of where in the RPM range the power comes in. It also holds it very well right to 5500; where it hits its peak HP.

Z.


I believe you... I used to drive a car with a well built V6, it didn't have a high power rating but it made lots of torque mostly down low but also up to 5k. You pretty much just put it in the gear you wanted and stepped on the gas and it would go. Once the shift linkage broke (POS Dodge, what do you expect) and I did all my driving in 3rd gear without too much trouble lol. It was rated for 141 hp... but the damn thing would pull itself uphill in 3rd gear with your foot OFF the gas.

Getting rid of it because it's wrong wheel drive and doesn't make enough noise. :p But it has a nice little motor for sure.
 
Thanks guys....

This is giving me some of the info I was looking for, especially the lessons on torque cruves and where the "power" would be felt in daily urban drivin'.

One last question though, how would the 2 suspensions compare from the paper stats...would they be similiar handling ( i loved the 91 lx 5.0) or does the 05 v6 look
to be definitely superior?