Wait a second… Run that past me again… How does that work? No wonder everybody wants one.

The new 2011 Ford Mustang with 3 all-new powertrains has three times more orders than the 2010 model in its first month, and half of all nationwide orders are for the new, class-leading 3.7-liter V-6 engine.

Nearly 11,000 Mustangs have been ordered since order banks opened in late January.

Fifty percent of the 2011 Mustang orders are for V-6 models, which feature a new, high-performance, all-aluminum Duratec 3.7-liter dual overhead-cam (DOHC) Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) engine. This new engine delivers 305 horsepower and an expected best-in-class EPA fuel efficiency of 30 mpg on the highway – a 25 percent improvement versus the 2010 model.

2011 Mustang V-6 order levels are up 19 percent versus the new 2010 model orders.

A first-ever Mustang Club of America (MCA) Special Edition package available on V-6 models generated three times more orders than expected. Plus, the California Special series – which is available on the Mustang GT and harkens back to the original 1968 feature vehicle – are triple the expected rates.

2011 Mustangs also are being equipped with record levels of technology. Navigation is specified on 18 percent of orders. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps are on 26 percent of vehicles. Rear-view cameras are on 10 percent – all up from 2010.

“The new engine transforms Mustang. Everything people love about the car lives on, and now under the hood is a V-6 engine that uses premium technology to deliver the power, the feel, the fuel efficiency, even the sound of the best sports cars in the world.” – Steve Ling, Ford North America Car Marketing Manager

For the 2011 model, 41 percent of orders are for Mustang GTs.

The Mustang GT’s modern 5.0-liter four-valve, Ti-VCT V-8 engine delivers 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque. At the same time, highway fuel economy is projected to be better than the previous model and unsurpassed in the segment.

On a lighter note there was a great article on Onion news a while back about the Ford Mustang and in the wake of all the recall commotion in the industry right now it caused a little bit of chaos here at Capital Ford when it was rumoured that the Ford Mustang ran the risk of being recalled and possibly not even launched for 2011. Of course none of this is true. The king of satire that is Onion news crafted a well written article about the Ford Mustang, titled “Ford Mustang recalled for being too cool.” It’s our Funny Friday this week.

It’s only February and we’re already getting amped up for the 2011 Mustang here at Capital Ford. It’s great to see a classic muscle car like the Mustang, a leader in the segment, step up with some incredible refinements. It’s will no doubt continue to lead the pack.

DETROIT—-Ford officials issued a massive recall of the entire Mustang line Tuesday, apologizing for a quality-control oversight that led to the company manufacturing a badass muscle car that was way too awesome for the American public. “We deeply regret this lapse in judgment and accept full responsibility for the mistake,” Ford CEO Alan R. Mulally said standing beside a gorgeous, cherry-red vehicle recalled for being “way too smoking.” “After numerous road tests, we’ve found the car to be a mean, mean ride that Americans are simply not cool enough to handle, and it would be irresponsible of us to allow anyone to get behind the wheel of this killer car. It’s truly frightening how sweet the Mustang is.” According to Mulally, Ford has canceled production on the 2011 Mustang, and will instead release a line of fuel-efficient vehicles in an effort to appeal to boring old Americans.

You can check out similar articles on the Onion News website. I hope that brought a smile to your face and that you have a great weekend which all starts tonight with a huge win over Slovakia! GO CANADA GO!

Following in the rich tradition of previous Ford factory built Mustang race cars like the 1968 Cobra Jet, the Boss 429 and the FR500S Mustang Challenge car, Ford Racing and AAI (aka the Mustang Plant) started work on a production run of 50 Cobra Jet Mustangs. Two years ago, Ford Racing built 50 Cobra Jet Mustangs at Ford vendor facilities, but the 2010 edition of the car returned home to Flat Rock, Michigan.

In 2005, AAI started building the S197 version of the Mustang and to date has produced over 800,000 units, a number that’s pretty impressive considering its a two door sports car. All V6, GT and GT500 models are manufactured on the main line and the build team knew they wanted to be a part of the historic car. While impossible to build on the high volume main line, the 2010 Cobra Jet was built on the AAI pilot assembly line where the plant performs new model training and workstation development. The pilot assembly team is made up of seasoned main line technicians and welcomed the challenge of building such a high profile Mustang.

A 2010 Cobra Jet starts out life as a “prepped” body-in-white 2010 Mustang. Prior to arriving at the Cobra Jet line, a 2010 shell was produced on the main AAI body line and painted Performance White. After paint the unit is sent to Watson Engineering in Taylor, Michigan for an NHRA legal 8.50 e.t. 10-point chromoly cage install. Watson Engineering also installed the rear back seat delete panel, firewall cover plates and transmission access panels. After the cage and body updates were complete at Watson, the body was shipped back to AAI for another trip down the main assembly paint line to coat the cage and interior Performance White in preparation for the Cobra Jet line.

There are two Cobra Jet assembly lines that merge into one assembly line after the car is built into a “roller”. When the Cobra Jet body hits the first build station, the line technician removes the doors for easier access to the interior. The composite cowl hood is also removed to access the engine bay. All installed parts are binned near the station where they will be installed. A computer terminal also provides the technician with build information specific to each car.

Station 1 of the Build

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The first part installed on the car is the main wiring harness for the electronics. An electrical bulkhead panel is installed on the passenger side firewall and the battery cable is routed towards the trunk for the electrical kill switch that is mounted on the rear of the quarter panel per NHRA specifications. One cool thing about the Cobra Jet build is that the only parts installed are go fast or safety related items. The body is void of insulation and other sound deading material that weigh a car down. Ford Racing engineers also kept wiring to a minimum to save weight.

After the cabin wiring harness is installed, the battery hold down bracket and Aeromotive Stealth Fuel system is mounted in the trunk. The Stealth Fuel Cell developed for the Cobra Jet is a 6-gallon aluminum racing fuel cell with an Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pump and filter inside the cell unit.

Once the trunk is squared away with the kill switch, fuel cell and battery mount, the technician lifts the body with an overhead hoist to access the floor pan. On the underside of the car the technician installs the upper control arm mount, driveshaft loop, lower radiator support, rear shocks, brake lines and fuel lines. The radiator support (shown above) is a tubular item and weighs a lot less than the OEM Mustang unit.

Station 2 – Interior and Engine Bay Parts

After the underbody is complete in Station 1, the car moves onto Station 2 for interior assembly and engine bay parts install. The first item installed in Station 2 is the carpet as well as the rear interior panels and rear shelf cover. The OEM factory headliner is also part of the Cobra Jet build to complete the plush interior of the factory built racecar. The Cobra Jet 10 point cage has also been pre-certified by an NHRA chassis inspector so the new owner can roll the car right off the trailer and into the tech line.

For the IP (Instrument Panel) install, a preassembled unit complete with Auto Meter Monster Tach is installed. The panel also features the fuse box right where the passenger airbag cover used to be for easy access in the event a fuse blows. Once the IP is in place, Automatic equipped Cobra Jets have a Hurst Quarter Stick shifter mounted to the transmission shifter bracket. One interesting thing Ford Racing engineered into the 2010 car is a removable panel to access the transmission servo and shift linkage.

Once the IP and carpet is installed the line technicians move to the front of the car to install the radiator/fan unit, intercooler heat exchanger and intercooler pump. For an intercooler pump Ford Racing selected a 55-gallon per hour Meziere unit to help intercooler cool the air charge.

Since the pilot assembly line does not move like typical assembly lines, the cars are moved from station the station using large overhead lifts. The lifts are used in the first three stations to place the bodies on adjustable skillets. The skillets can be adjusted to a comfortable height for the workers at that build station.

After the cooling system is mounted the manual brake booster and proportioning valve is installed in the drivers side engine bay. These units were built exclusively for the Cobra Jet and help save a lot of weight in the car. The CJ also has a line lock for locking the front brakes in the burnout box. There are over 100 unique part numbers for the Cobra Jet build so the crew has had to juggle inventory, Just In Time parts shipments and parts availability throughout the 3 week build.

Installing the Supercharged 5.4-liter in the Cobra Jet and Drivetrain

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While the Cobra Jet features five engine options, during our visit they were building 5.4L derivatives. The 5.4 Liter Cobra Jet engines are being prepared to meet the chassis at the decking station. The engines are built at the Romeo Niche line 60 miles north of Flat Rock and shipped to the plant in batches. For 2010, Ford Racing offered two versions of the engine. A cast iron block 5.4 liter Supercharged "base" mill or an aluminum block 5.4-liter “Super Cobra Jet” powerplant as an optional upgrade.

All 5.4 Liter Super Cobra Jet engines arrive from Romeo on a engine pallet and are topped with a Ford Racing 4.0 Liter Cobra Jet Supercharger, Ford Racing engineered FEAD (Front Engine Accessory Drive), Cobra Jet Cams and Ford Racing Blue Valve Covers. Once on the engine prep line, technicians install American Racing Headers long tube headers, flywheel and the transmission. For 2010, Ford Racing made four race transmissions available, a race prepped C4 automatic, a 2 speed C2 automatic, a Tremec 6 speed, or a full race Liberty 5-speed unit.

After the engine is prepped for “decking” it’s placed in a movable fixture for attachment of the lower k-member, steering rack and lower control arms. Once the k-member, lower control arms and front spindles are attached, the drag struts are installed complete with Strange Engineering lightweight brake rotors and two piston calipers.

While the engine/front suspension is being prepped, the rear axle is being readied for installation. The Cobra Jet 9” unit is built by Strange Engineering and shipped as a ready to install item complete with rear disc brakes. For 2010 Cobra Jets, Ford Racing offered a 4.11 rear gear ratio for the automatic cars and a 4.29 gear ratio for the manual transmission package. Once the engine and rear-end are ready, a technician moves the engine onto its decking skillet and the rear end onto its own dedicated lift.

The Cobra Jet body is then lifted via the overhead hoist and placed on the “Moon Buggy” for engine and rear end installation. Once placed on the moon buggy the engine is lifted into the Cobra Jet engine bay. Two steel rods are used to “locate” the engine and cradle to the engine bay before lifting the entire assembly into the car. Once the engine and cradle is in place, the four engine cradle bolts are torqued to spec. The transmission cross member is then installed on the transmission and attached to the frame mounts.

Once the engine/transmission is secure in the chassis, the technician then moves to the rear end assembly and lifts the unit into the chassis. The upper control arm and lower control arms are attached and tightened to spec. The Cobra Jet uses spherical rod ends at all attachment points for adjustability. After the rear end is mounted the anti-roll bar system is installed. The Cobra Jet anti-roll bar unit was designed by Ford Racing and Team Z Engineering and is credited for making the car perform so well on the strip.

After the suspension is in place the Dynotech 1-piece driveshaft is installed. The production Mustang GT500 has a 2-piece drive shaft good to around 600 horsepower. With the Cobra Jet producing a bit more and engineered to take repeated 7,000 RPM launches, a beefier Dynotech unit was selected.

Wrapping up the Build

The final step after the decking station is the installation of the wheels and tires. The Cobra Jet has unique Weld Competition front 15 x 3 wheels complete with a Cobra Jet Snake machined into the wheel spoke. Tires on the 2010 Cobra Jet car are from Hoosier and the rear tire size for all the cars we saw being built were 30×10.5×15. All “Super Cobra Jet” equipped Cobra Jets get 30×10.5×15 rear meats while Manual optioned cars get 29x11x15 rear slicks. The other base 5.4L, as well as the three naturally aspirated engine variants, come with a Stock Eliminator legal 30x9x15″ slick.

After the car is a “roller”, it’s lowered down on the ground and the engine is dressed and starts to receive its own unique items. The fuel lines, engine wiring harness, intercooler reservoir, radiator reservoir, coolant lines and front fascia are all installed at this station. Once the engine bay is complete the technicians moves to the interior of the car to work on the steering gear installation, steering wheel, and switch panel.

After station four the two Cobra Jet lines merge into one as the cars are rolled into the safety belt, seat and console installation area. Belt mounts are already welded into the crossbar so the RJS safety belts are already mounted per NHRA tech rules. The Cobra Jet seats start out as basic Mustang V6 seats and an outside vendor installs the submarine belt grommet in the lower seat section and recovers the seat front with unique Cobra Jet logoed material. The headrest also includes the Cobra Jet logo for that added touch.

With the interior now complete, the doors are installed on the car as it passes through the final build station. Sure you could do without power windows but its cool hitting the window down switch to pick-up your time slip after a 9 second pass. Not to mention Ford doesn’t even offer roll down windows in any Mustang. After the doors are fit the front and rear glass is installed and the car begins to take on a finished look.

The final station is where the massive Cobra Jet throttle body, air inlet tube and K&N filter are installed. After the air intake unit is complete the car is ready to be moved to the alignment area for first start, final check and alignment.

Once on the lift, a Cobra Jet build team member starts the car for a systems check. All gauges are monitored for accuracy as well as engine sound. Once everything sounds acceptable the car is shut down for final calibration and prep.

While the car is on the lift the front and rear suspension is checked for alignment. To adjust the rear suspension, the alignment techs use the adjustable panhard bar to center the rear end. For front end alignment, the tie rods are adjusted to bring the suspension into front to rear alignment specifications.

After alignment check the cars are pushed to the decal application area for their unique Cobra Jet decal package. The base Cobra Jet decal package includes; Cobra Jet quarter panel script, CJ fender decal and 5.4-Liter Cobra Jet hood decal. This station is also where the cars get the optional Cobra Jet side decal package applied. If the owner wants a plain white car, the decals are placed in the trunk for the owners safe keeping.

While we were at the Cobra Jet assembly the build team was averaging 3-4 cars a day. Considering the complexity of some of the part installs and the hiccups that always arise the team appeared enthusiastic to be a part of the 2010 Cobra Jet program. While we don’t know if any of the 50 cars will win a NHRA National Event like John Calvert’s 2008 Cobra Jet, the 2010 version has several improvements over the first model. We’re anticipating many of these cars will hit the track early this year and, with some hard work from the racers, don’t be surprised if one dips into the 8 second zone. Impressive considering its a turn-key Ford Factory built car.

Ford’s new 2011 Mustang GT will serve as the Official Pace Car at this year’s 52nd Daytona 500, the first time in 40 years a Ford vehicle has paced NASCAR’s biggest and most prestigious race.

Under the hood of the Mustang GT Glass Roof Coupe will be Ford’s all-new 5.0-liter V-8, which will be available to customers in dealer showrooms this spring.

Before the new Ford Mustang’s rubber hits the Daytona 500 road it was auctioned off at the Barrett Jackson Auto show for a WHOPPPPPING $330,000, one lucky enthusiast now owns the pace car pony and has helped a deserving charity at the same time.

With the additional throw in's from Ford and Edwards, it's a heck of a nice package!

There are quite a few other benefits that come with this particular car. Both Mark Fields and Carl Edwards were on stage with the car, and between the two of them they threw in a trip to the Daytona 500, VIP access to the Ford hospitality center, a tour of the pits, and a lap of the track in the passenger seat with Edwards. Not bad at all. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a cause that Capital Ford and Capital Cares offer as much support as we can.   With all those incentives, the final price of $300,000 made it the most expensive car of the auction so far this year.

This is the first time in four decades that a Ford Motor Company vehicle will pace the Daytona 500. The last time was in 1970 when the Ford Torino GT convertible had the honors.

In addition to the Race Red paint job and special Daytona 500 striped paint scheme, the Mustang pace car features a Brembo brake package, Ford Racing suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers, unique 19-inch painted wheels, summer-only tires and a special interior treatment, including lit sill plates. It also carries an early VIN and will be among the first 2011 Mustang GT 5.0-liter V-8s made available for sale to the public. Check out the video from the auction now.

The front of Kurtis's Grabber Orange Mustang

At Capital Ford we’re dedicated to bring you timely and important news about everything in our world and in the Ford world, especially news about a car as cool and fun as the Ford Mustang!

Mustang owner, Capital Ford Product Specialist, and soon to be Capital Tailgate “Mainly Mustang” blogger (a little more about this at the end) Kurtis McGonigal took the time to sit down with us and dig a little deeper into his passion for the Mustang.

In one sentence, tell us about yourself.
My name is Kurtis McGonigal and I’m 21 years old.

When did you start your career at Capital Ford?
I started my career at Capital Ford on July 15, 2009.

Do you remember your first day?
Yeah i do actually very well it was really hot but I didn’t care. I was really excited to sell my first car which actually ended up happening . I sold a 2008 Ford Focus to a young girl from Stoughton, Brittney Turner

What do you like best about working at Capital?
I think the best thing about working here is that I truly feel like I’m supposed to be here. When i think about all the other jobs that I’ve had threw my life there hasn’t been one that I have looked forward to going to work. Ford is truly my favorite company and I am very passionate about cars so this job just goes hand and hand with me!

Your a self proclaimed Mustang nut, what’s your earliest memory of a Mustang?
I have always loved the muscle car era of  the late 60′s and truly one of my first memories that I had, when I truly fell in love with mustangs was when I watched the show “Gone in Sixty Seconds” ..which stars a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 nick named “Eleanor” ever since that movie I’ve done nothing but dream of having one of my own

Do you remember how you felt the first time you drove a Mustang?
Honestly the first time I drove one…felt the power of that V8, it made me forget about any problems I might have had at the time..driving one was truly like a medicine for me.

What is it you like most about a Mustang?
The Mustang is truly the best muscle car in the world …survival of the fittest is how I like to look at it ..the Trans Am , the Camaro the Charger, the Challenger all these cars have left us for an extended period of time…the Mustang has truly outlasted everyone.

Do you think you can sum up what your favourite thing is about the Ford Mustang?
My favorite thing about the Ford Mustang is that it’s a very good looking car and affordable for the average Joe. If i had to pick one thing, it would have to be the absolute massive after market for this car. I mean there is truly no end to the things you can do to this car.

The Mustang has a storied past and tons of tradition, is there a model, body style or year you particularly in love with?
My favourite ..hmm well i would have to say that i have two.. the late model s197 model which is the 2005 to 2009 series. and the 1970 boss 302 Mustangs.

What’s one word you’d use to describe the Ford Mustang?
EPIC

Nice word! Would it be the same word for the new 2010 model?
New age muscle would be how I’d describe it.

What’s your favourite colour 2010 Mustang?
Sterling Grey Metallic

It sounds like your so excited about the Ford Mustang that you’re going to contribute to the Capital Tailgate blog about Mustangs, what’s your take on becoming a contributor?
Very excited, this give me a chance to vent all the information that I come across and share it with the public.

What made you want to let people know more about the Mustang?
I truly believe that as far as muscle cars go over all bang for your buck, this is the best car you can purchase and the one that you will have the most fun with!

How can people get a hold of you if they have any questions?
You can call the dealership house number, 543-5410 or my cell phone at any time 737-2790. Regardless of your questions I’ve always got time to answer any question you have. Please feel free to leave any questions on the blog. I’ll answer almost immediately if I’m not with customers and it gets those answers out to other people who might have the same questions or just hadn’t thought of the same things. It’s a quick, easy & dynamic way to get some real answers to any questions.

Kurtis's Mustang GT at dusk with fog ligts burning bright.

Capital Ford and the Capital Tailgate are proud to have Kurtis McGonigal on our team and very excited about his new contributions on “The Tailgate.”

We’re hoping to connect with you, our customers, more and more to find answers to any of your questions, provide cutting edge news along with some fun and interesting stories that Kurtis always comes across with his deep knowledge base and resources surrounding the Mustang world.

If you’d like to follow Kurtis on our blog make sure to check our Mainly Mustang category often or simply subscribe to email updates by clicking here. Our Mainly Mustang topics can also be followed on Twitter by searching #mainlymustang, click here to check out real time, live up to date current announcements! You can also follow us on Twitter for #mainlymustang updates between blog posts.

Ti-VCT provides extremely precise variable – yet independent – control of timing for intake and exhaust valves. Drivers of the 2011 Mustang GT will notice abundant torque and class-leading fuel economy. An additional benefit of Ti-VCT is a reduction of emissions, especially in situations when the throttle is partially open.

Independent adjustment of intake and exhaust valve timing allows maximum fuel economy at part-throttle, while delivering optimized power in full-throttle situations. An added benefit is improved drivability and responsiveness across the torque curve. At Capital Ford we’re eagerly waiting for the 2011 Mustang GT, I for one can’t wait to get my but in the seat!

How Ti-VCT works

(WARNING – From here out gets a little techy but is seriously great news!)

Engine design and aesthetics were important to the development team. Delivering over 400HP was even more important!

The new 5.0-liter V-8 in the 2011 Mustang GT is a double-overhead-camshaft configuration that employs two camshafts per cylinder bank – one camshaft to operate the intake valves and one camshaft to operate the exhaust valves. Ti-VCT rotates the camshafts to advance or retard the cam timing, based on several measures including throttle opening.

An element unique to the Mustang GT 5.0-liter V-8 application is that Ti-VCT is actuated by camshaft torque, with assistance from pressurized oil. Using camshaft torque energy provides faster throttle response and maximizes use of existing energy, to aid fuel economy. Camshaft torque energy Ti-VCT actuation is a Ford innovation, introduced first on the 3.0-liter V-6.

Working like a ratchet, the one-way valves allow precise timing of camshaft events, continually optimizing timing to provide maximum thrust or fuel economy, based on driver input.