ORIGINAL: brucer41
RLSH700, yes the 4.6 in the Ford is a very high reving little motor. The 300 hp/320 lb/ft of torque claim I think it spot on, however the one issue with it is that with the auto it is a bit tough to grab the road on hard acceleration. In my opinion if it had the 5 speed stick (Tremec 3650) it would do better on take off. The 15.2 lbs. per hp gives it a fairly good take off and if you are able to get good traction with it then it is off like a bullet. I have tried to talk the wife into some suspension mods, a clean air kit etc. to improive its 4.6 0-60 time but she wants it just like it is. When I saw the Daytona in Motor Trend stating that it had 340 hp/390 ft/lb of torque I felt that although the 'Stang was lower in hp and torque that the power to weight ratio was going to be better as the Daytona outweighs the 'Stang by around 600 pounds and while the Hemi has more power the RPM band take a bit longer to get to in comparison as the 4.6 with its 24 valves lets it breath easier. But, as I said earlier, it all came down to sheer horsepower. The "Stang can get going in a hurry and wind up quick but it definately lags in the higher end power bands where the Dodge motors have always excelled.
Interesting, I just picked up a 2008 Mustang GT/CS with a stick. I had the opportunity to joust with a 5.7L LS-1 Trans Am automatic last weekend. We went rolling both times and it was a neck and neck run. No decisive winner. The LS1 engines are known for their top end prowess and he could not pull on me at the higher speeds. We weren't going crazy fast either. The gripe I have with the Mustang is it's LACK of throttle response, especially on the low end. It begins to pull much better as the rpm's build. This is due to the fly by wire T-body. Also Ford has it set so that the factory calibration never allows 100% opening. I believe this is to cut warranty costs from breakage/inexperienced drivers. I will get mine tuned in the very near future and from what I understand in speaking with someone who had it done is that this is addressed in the new tune. I was told a noticeable difference. We'll see. I think the Challenger will be fly by wire but I am hoping it will a little more performance oriented than the Ford set up.