Watch what happens when a Ford Mustang driveshaft fails at 135 mph

AutoBlog: Watch what happens when a Ford Mustang driveshaft fails at 135 mph

Click to watch videoBefore we get started, we feel the need to repeat the standard issue warning about automotive stupidity: Do not try what's shown in the video, and if you do, make sure it's in the safe confines of a legitimate track facility.

One individual recently learned firsthand what happens when you remove the factory's 112-mph speed limiter on the Ford Mustang V6 and proceed to accelerate to 135 mph. The vehicle lost its driveshaft, which turned itself into a spinning hunk of metal that tore into the floorpan, bashed through its interior bits and generally caused mechanical mayhem.

The term for this type of failure is "catastrophic."

So, what happened? Well, we might first point out that the driver of this particular Mustang was clearly still accelerating after the drivetrain started making suspect noises – never a good idea. We have to imagine the vehicle was vibrating like an overloaded Magic Fingers bed before things went sideways.

As it turns out, 305-horsepower, 280-pound-feet of torque 3.7-liter V6 Mustang is built with a 2.73 rear gear ratio and a lightweight, one-piece driveshaft that's engineered to toe the line between fuel economy and performance. That driveshaft is part of the recipe that allow the coupe to produce yield 31 mpg highway – it simply isn't built to handle the type of speeds the owner in the video after the jump submitted it to.

In a statement to Autoblog, Ford said that the Mustang V6 is "the ultimate in fuel economy and performance," noting that owners looking for more speed should look toward the Mustang GT with its 412 horsepower V8, heavy-duty two-piece drive shaft and variety of rear axle ratio choices. The Mustang GT is limited to 145 mph.

As an aside, we would also like to point out the idiocy of trying to film oneself at triple digits by hand. While the YouTube description says that the impromptu test course is a "closed" road, it looks like it might be a public roadway. The videographer is lucky to be alive. Keep it on the track, people.

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