Australian 2015 Ford Mustang GT Packs the Same Power as US Models

After a recent Ford of Australia presentation, it was announced that the 2015 Ford Mustang GT coming to the Aussie market would pack the same 5.0L V8 as the pony cars in America, but the Australian model “only” produces 303kW and 525Nm with kW and Nm being the Aussie measurements for what Americans call horsepower and torque. The problem is that those numbers are lower than the official power ratings of the 2015 Mustang GT in the USA, which caused many people around the world to question why the Australian Mustang was less powerful. This also led me to wonder if the less powerful Mustang GT was an Australian matter or if this lower power would include all right hand drive 2015 Mustangs.

Fortunately, it is all just a misunderstanding caused by the difference in how power levels are stated in the US and Australia.

2015 Ford Mustang GT Power Levels
The 2015 Ford Mustang GT in Australia packs 303kW and 525Nm of torque while the 2015 Ford Mustang GT in the USA delivers 435 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque, with the two markets very clearly stating their power numbers in different formats of measurement. However, when you convert the American Mustang numbers to Australian power measures, you get figures of 324kW and 542Nm. If you convert the official Australian power numbers to figures that Americans can understand, the Mustang GT offers 406 horsepower and 387lb-ft of torque.

These numbers suggest that the 2015 Mustang GT Down Under has 29 less horsepower and 13lb-ft less torque than the same car with the same engine in the USA. Fortunately, the Mustang GT isn’t less powerful in Australia – it is just measured on a different scale.

2015 Ford Mustang Galleries:
Live images from the 2015 Ford Mustang Detroit Debut
A look at the similarities in styling across the 2015 Ford Mustang trimlines
The 2015 Ford Mustang in Triple Yellow

This difference in the measurement method is why the 2015 Ford Mustang GT has less advertised power in Australia and Ford has stressed that the 5.0L V8 in the American Mustang GT has the exact same engine as the models sold Down Under. On paper, the power rating in Australia might be a touch less impressive, but driving an Australian market Mustang GT and an American market Mustang GT will return the same exhilarating experience.