If you thought the fuel economy figures for the 2011 Ford Mustang V-6 were impressive, just wait until you see the numbers being delivered by the Mustang GT’s new 5.0-liter mill.

According to the EPA, the 2011 Ford Mustang GT returns a fuel economy of 17 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway when equipped with the six-speed manual transmission, giving it the best fuel economy in its class. Opt for the available six-speed automatic and you still get an equally impressive 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

The numbers are all the more amazing when you factor in that the car’s V-8 engine delivers up to 412 horsepower and 390 pounds-feet of torque.

Key to the powerplant’s frugality is Ford’s Ti-VCT cam-torque-actuated variable camshaft timing system and all-aluminum four-valve-per-cylinder engine design, as well as electric power steering. A pair of new transmissions, both with six forward ratios, also play a large part in making the 2011 Ford Mustang, both the V-6 and V-8 models, a class leader when it comes to fuel economy.

The GT's best in class fuel numbers come on the heels of the Mustang V-6, which just last week cracked the record books as not only the most fuel-efficient Mustang ever, but also the first production car in history to produce more than 300 horsepower and a fuel economy of more than 30 mpg on the highway.

[Ford]