Ford engineers squeeze out 48.5 mpg in a 2011 Mustang By Alisa Priddle The Detroit News It took 1,457 laps around a track, but Ford Motor Co. set a benchmark for the Mustang and made a point: A muscle car can be fuel efficient. The automaker took a 2011 Ford Mustang with a V-6 engine to Bristol Speedway in Tennessee this week, to see if the car could run 1,000 laps and 533 miles on a single tank of gas. A team of five, taking turns behind the wheel, drove -- carefully -- for nearly 18 hours to make the most of every drop of fuel. The payoff: The car passed the 1,000-lap mark with a quarter of a tank to spare. 'To see a Mustang post average fuel economy of 48.5 mpg while running at Bristol is impressive,' said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer, crediting the car's new V-6 mated to an advanced six-speed transmission. Achieving that performance required a different approach to driving. Drivers tried to forgo air conditioning, avoided sudden stops and starts and kept the engine revs low with steady, consistent driving. Average speed, according to Ford: 43.9 mph. The vehicle was equipped with a lightweight 3.7-liter V-6, dual-overhead cams, twin independent variable camshaft timing and other engineering advances available on any Mustang. 'This is beyond our wildest dreams,' said Tom Barnes, the lead engineer for the lap challenge. 'It was great when we went past the 1,000 lap mark with David, but nobody could ever imagine that we still had five hours ahead of us. ' Ford has been pursuing its EcoBoost fuel-efficiency strategy for years. Every aspect of a car is scrutinized for its contribution to improving mileage, and technologies have been developed to get more power and performance from smaller engines. apriddledetnews.com (313) 222 - 2504 All-American: Toyota Camry named the most American car. 9B Ford engineers squeeze out 48.5 mpg in a 2011 Mustang 