Man, I find this disturbing. The fact that Ford is as conservative about their performance numbers as they are, whether or not it is justified, could make their vehicles seem weaker than they really are. That isn't a bad thing for anyone who buys a Ford but it is a bad thing for anyone who decides not to out of the idea that the given vehicle isn't as powerful as it actually is. Ford should make a greater emphasis to point this out like saying "this engine can put out at least 300HP but can go as high as 315HP" or something like that.

Oh, the current rating for the GT, if it means anything in light of this discussion, is 550HP@6500RPM and 500lbs/ft of torque@3750RPM.

 

If somebody claims that they buy a car because of it's power ratings as opposed to it's actual performance, than they were looking for a reason not to buy it. It's like people who buy the Dodge HD because the Cummins has 600 ft-lbs of torque, yet it gets out towed, out accelerated, and basically outclassed by the 6.0 PSD.

Ford is not being conservative about their performance ratings, just about their engine ratings. If a company has to consistently pound away the power ratings of their engines rather than performance ratings, then we all know where their priorities are. In the immortal words of Shrek, "do you think their trying to compensate for something?"

 

Well you know they may average the numbers. Not every V10 engine produced will perform the same in real world, or on a dyno. That's pretty much the case with anything mass produced. 73fastbackv10 is correct. Damn the numbers, what can it do? Most of us have seen it in practice. The hemi puts out more 'rated' horsepower but a V10 with the updated heads will out do it all day long. Maybe these other companies go the other way. Maybe they are so hung up on numbers, they inflate their actual numbers. The general buying public have been spoonfed the numbers game so long, rarely do they care what the truck/car will really do, as long as they can be the first on their block with the highest number. I knew going in that the truck I bought wasn't the highest rated numerically. I test drove all of the big 3 products. My butt dyno told me this was the one I needed.

The GT numbers have climbed since they announced it. It started at 500. Again, I would be willing to bet that it is putting out 600 if not more.

 

Well then, Ford should focus more on actual performance numbers (0-60MPH times, 1/4mile times, etc.) than just what the engine produces. They already do this to a degree like with that Super Duty commercial that show the truck pulling all those refrigerators. What I am really sick of is GM and Dodge saying things like "...it has more standard V8 horsepower than Ford..." and crap like that. Ford needs to have more advertising that actually show their trucks outperforming their competitors to point out how meaningless engine ratings can be. I especially want to see them hit Dodge with their stupid, highly overrated 5.7L Hemi; "has more horsepower than Ford," yeah, on MIDGRADE, also on top of the fact that the engine has to rev higher in order to even produce its peak horsepower or torque. To sum it up though, all I want to see is Ford put up a bigger fight in its advertising when it comes to real-world performance, and not just with trucks but for any of its vehicles where it would be relevant to do so, because it annoys me that so many criticisms from the competition go unanswered.

Oh, about the GT again, yeah, those are the latest numbers that were posted by Ford a few months ago. Originally, Ford posted 500HP@5000RPM and 500lbs/ft of torque@4500RPM.

 

True but Ford is outselling them. In my opinion (which doesn't mean much) I don't see what Ford has to gain by making a big production out of it's numbers. I understand where you are coming from but as you said, the other two say "more...... than Ford". So obviously, Ford is the top gun and no one has come close to shooting them down. All they can push is numbers. Anyone that really goes out and buys a Dodge, for example, because the hemi has more horsepower, deserves to own a Dodge.

What they say never bothered me. What does bother me are the people that go buy these trucks and start ragging on my Ford. I had a guy at work about a year ago that went out and bought a hemi Ram about the same time I bought mine. All he could talk about is how his 8 had more hp than my 10. He kept wanting to race, pull, etc. Every single day this guy had some stupid, derrogitory comment about my POS Ford. I got sick of it and finally obliged him and made sure we were in full view of everyone that thought his hemi was all that. I shut him down bad. Of course, he had a ton of excuses, so we did it again. Same result. Fast forward one year later, he still has his hemi but now all he can talk about is trading it in on a Ford next year. He's alraedy burned a transmission and chewed teeth off his rear end. POS indeed.

 

Don't forget that the big three got burned sales wise in the 70's with over inflated HP figures and poor handling cars. Lots of accidents were falsely attributed to tooo much HP so the insurance companies charged a monster premium for "muscle" car HP figures. Really screwed up sales. I am not saying Ford derates the HP and torque facts they just choose not to draw attention and get into that problem again.

Hang10 said: "The hemi puts out more 'rated' horsepower but a V10 with the updated heads will out do it all day long."

I can attest to this. On a trip to Arizona recently with my typical load, 1 Harley in bed, 24' TT on the bumper, three adults and all the associated crap for two women. We were passing a long 15 rig caravan of snow birds. As I passed the long line going up hill out of New Mexico into Arizona on the I10 we noticed that several of the rigs had to pull off and raise the hood. Later that evening the whole string of old folks made it to the RV Park we were in. Over some beers I got to chat with them and ended up converting several to thinking their next tow rig should be a Ford. Every one on the trip that broke down was a Dodge. The ones that day on the side were Hemi engines. OK it is true I did not change any Dodge diesel powered minds, but I tried!

 

Everyone wants to claim "more something than Ford". But there's always an asterisk at the end of the statement, normally it says "when properly equipped vs. 4.6L Ford F150". Chevy says more standard v8 horsepower, but fail to mention that their "standard v8" is an option. Chevy's "standard" engine is a v6. Everyone wants to try and be the man, but to be the man, you have to beat the man, not just use smoke and mirrors.

 

Woooooooooo. Ric Flair.

 

Hey hang 10 thats a good one. I hope all the hemi guys are reading this. Your not the only one to have somebody run down ford. I have it happen occassionally. I just about blow my top. I cant stand it when people run down Ford. I bet this guy was a young guy all cocky and thought he was king of the road. Hemi power and all. I am glad you made a believer out of him. And better yet he might get a Ford. Great.

 

Yeah, I like that line "...deserves to own a Dodge" as if it's an insult. Like some parent threatening their kid:
Parent: "Do the dishes or else I'm going to buy a Dodge!"
Kid: "NOOOOOOOOO!!"

And that's also a good point about the Ram's transmission. In spite of its 345HP and a supposedly better 5-speed auto (versus the Ford's 4-speed), much of the Ram's ability is lost on account of a crappy transmission. That guy shouldn't have been messing around anyway. Sure the Hemi would've had more horsepower, but that's not as important for pulling weight, torque is. So if he knew anything about the huge torque advantage the 6.8L V10 has, he probably would've backed off. In this case though, humiliation, I imagine, was much sweeter.

 

That's the thing, alot of these guys buying Rams with Hemis and Titans are either first time pickup buyers or guys moving up from a compact truck. They see the ads and read the HP numbers and they buy those becuase of the percieved speed and power. What they are too stupid/inexperienced to realize is that in a heavy pickup it's all about torque and the rpm levels the engine produces it's torque and HP. This line always seems to shut the mouths of the Hemi freaks:

Do you Hemi guys realize that my 6.8L V10, which weighs 2000lbs more than a Ram 1500, makes more torque chugging along in OD at 65mph with my tach at 1900rpm than your mighty Hemi produces at it peak level all the way up over 4000rpm??

 

When I first bought my 2000 CC F350 V10 4.30 gears I was going to some meeting for the VFD, had a guy with me that is nothing but Chev. After going up a few hills this guy came out and told me his 350 Chev PU could beat the crap out of my truck. I looked at him and said I would race him but first he had to get his truck up to 9K (thats what my SD weighs) he said his wouldn't hold that much, I told him to come and see me when he gets a truck.

 

Really. He thinks his truck with as much wait as yours and he will beat it. No respect. Good response. When he gets a real truck. A Ford.

 

I say just give any dodge owner that switch from ford over the HP number 2 years and theyll be back, you will always have you die hard who stick with dodge no matter what, they are the one who keep dodge out there even though the trannies went at 60,000 in the last gen ram. who really knows about the new gen ram but the best idicator is too look at the past to predict the future.