The 2.3-litre EcoBoost Ford Mustang on its own sounds adequately fruity for a four-cylinder petrol mill but when parked next to the Mustang GT with its naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8, you’d wish you spent that extra money for that glorious V8 soundtrack.
In an effort to unleash the full aural potential from the 2.3-litre EcoBoost, exhaust engineers and audio designers at Ford have developed a new Fully Active Performance Exhaust that changes the sound of the car using electronically controlled valves. How does the Mustang EcoBoost with its new exhaust stack up against its bigger brothers the Mustang GT 5.0 and Shelby GT350?
According to Ford exhaust development engineer, Hani Ayesh, the 310 hp four-cylinder Mustang’s “throaty rumble of the exhaust makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, just as it might on the larger-engine Mustang GT and Shelby GT350 models.”
The performance exhaust changes the pitch of the car according to the drive mode selected – Normal, Sport and Track, the latter two being the more aggressive setting. Ford’s “Good Neighbour” quiet mode that silences the exhaust note is also available on the new system.
“When I pick up my kids from school, they want to hear that growling rev of the engine but my wife and neighbours, not so much. So, I can select the quieter “Good Neighbour” mode, and keep them happy, too.” said Ayesh.
