See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
With the development of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in the bag and its official on-sale date on the horizon, Ford has turned its attention to the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost Mustang and cooked up the new High-Performance package for the 2020 model year. It was inspired by an in-house one-off Mustang build featuring a Focus RS engine, and the build proved to be so entertaining that the Mustang team submitted a formal plan to migrate it into the production lineup.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
To get things started, Ford confirmed production availability of the Valencia, Spain-built turbocharged 2.3-liter engine from the Focus RS. Desirable for its die-cast alloy block and high-performance extra-strength cylinder head, it required a bit of engineering to utilize it for a rear-wheel-drive-only setting. While they were at it, Ford tweaked the head gasket, specified a 5 percent larger 63-mm twin-scroll turbo compressor and a larger radiator.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
Completed, the engine is rated for 330 horsepower; that’s 20 ponies shy of the 350-hp tune as utilized in the Focus RS application but 20 more than the 310-hp version of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost in the 2019 Mustang. Torque is unchanged at 350 lb-ft, the same in all three cars.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
The engine can be mated to either the six-speed Getrag manual or 10-speed automatic transmission, and as with the previous Performance Pack, a 3.55:1 limited-slip rear axle resides out back. A fully active quad-tip exhaust is included as part of the package.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
Ford added numerous tweaks and upgraded several components to ensure the chassis can hold up its end of the bargain. An alloy strut tower brace stiffens up the chassis at the front and sharpens turn-in, while a 1.3-inch solid front roll bar and a tubular 0.9-inch bar at the rear help control lean and sway.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
A large black front splitter and belly pan, plus brake cooling ramps from the Mustang GT Performance package, work to reduce front-end lift and improve brake cooling.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
A blacked-out grille with offset Mustang tri-bar pony emblem, 2.3-liter High Performance package side badges, hood stripes, magnetic gray side mirrors, and a raised blade rear spoiler all come along with the High Performance package. Inside, a serialized dash plaque and an engine-spun aluminum instrument panel add to the performance theme.
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See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package
A set of 13.9-inch front rotors come by way of the Mustang GT, and four-piston calipers reside at each wheel. Package-specific 19-by-9-inch machined-face aluminum wheels and 255/40R summer tires comprise the rolling stock, and to make sure the hardware is performing at its best, Ford tricked up new specific calibrations for the electronically controlled power steering, anti-lock braking, stability control, and five driver-selectable drive modes.
This single box-check option, borrowed from the Focus RS, can take a 2.3-liter Mustang from base to race.