TOP’S DOWN
TWO OF OUR EXPERTS TAKE A 2017 FORD MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE FOR A ROAD TEST .
Overview: Latest iteration of Ford’s iconic pony car Pros: Great handling, eye- catching design, open- air cruising Cons: Thirsty, heavier than the fastback Value for money: Expensive What I would change: Perhaps a power- retractable hardtop? How I would spec it: Much as I enjoy the wind on a warm summer’s day, esthetically I prefer the coupe
Occasionally, we hand the keys of a test vehicle to two of our experts to hear what they have to say. Here’s what auto journalists David Booth and Lesley Wimbush think about the 2017 Ford Mustang GT convertible.
Lesley Wimbush: I know what you’re thinking. “Female, blond, mature: it’s almost a guaranteed no- brainer that she loves a convertible.”
Well, just hold your horses, buster. While there’s something incredibly self- gratifying about low-speed cruising past a crowded patio in a hot car, the downsides to going topless make it a deal breaker for me. Obviously, David, given your follicle challenges, you can’t relate to the experience of 90 km/ h winds whipping your long tresses into a Medusa- like nest of cheek- stinging nettles. I also despise the taste of my own hair.
And while it is kind of fun to see and be seen (at low speeds), it wears thin when you’ve got to vacuum the dust, sand, and tree pollen from every nook and cranny afterward. Not that I had much of a chance to stow the roof, anyway. So now you’re probably thinking, “Whoa, sorry I asked. Bet she’s a real barrel of laughs.”
David Booth: If you’re looking for an argument from me, you’ll have to go elsewhere. I’ ll see your “hair whipping in the wind” and raise you a “bald spot prone to the most painful sunburn imaginable.”
The hats I’ve lost trying to avoid such frying of scalp would probably add up to the GDP of Albania. So that you know, I’ ll take a hardtop coupe every day of the year. Besides, it’s better looking.
LW: OK, I hadn’t thought of that, but apart from hair/no-hair issues, I really like the Mustang’s take on the ragtop. Despite what I said about droptops, I’d make an exception for this one. I’ve always found the clean roofline of a coupe more appealing; even the nicest convertibles have the l ook of sneakers paired with a tux.
But this is a pretty car, and I particularly like how the black racing stripes fade across the hood. The red leather interior is a stunner, but perhaps I’m a little too old and grouchy to appreciate the ambient lighting’s customizable palette. Glowing purple gauges and footwells are more Lady Gaga than the classic rock I listen to.
DB: Musical issues aside, I did find the glowing purple gauges a little juvenile. Besides, I don’t think there’s much cross- shopping between the raver crowd and Mustangs. That said, good looks have always been a Mustang forte and this one is no exception.
LW: And the GT still projects the swaggering attitude of its musclecar roots, don’t you think? Dropping down into the deep bucket seat, you grip a fat, solid wheel and peer over a brawny snout.
And like a good North American muscle car should, it has a clutch to bang it into first gear. A pleasant surprise was my expectations of a heavy clutch being dashed. Remember the cement- mixer take- up of the previous Shelby-tuned Mustang GT500? But clutch and gearbox are delightful, really encouraging footwork and shift interplay.
DB: Sorry, Lesley, we were on the same page until the transmission accolades. And while the manual is not the rock crusher of yore, it’s difficult to see it as sophisticated and buttery smooth as Europe’s finest. And, yes, to you Trumpites already putting pen to paper denouncing me as eurozone apologist, some of those European transmissions do have to put up with the same level of torque as a good ol’ Yankee Doodle Dandy V8.
LW: OK, but you have to agree Ford’s monster 5.0- litre V8 sings. The rumbling exhaust note is music to the ears. Its 435 horsepower and 400 pound- feet of torque are sufficient to leave two black strips at every stop light, if that’s your thing.
But it’s the chassis and suspension engineering that are truly impressive. The Mustang has been around for 52 years, and while the original pony cars are iconic collectibles, they weren’t known for their handling.
I’ ll probably take some heat for saying this, but these new Mustangs handle as well as some of the two- doors from Audi and BMW. Instead of the brute, unpredictability of the more powerful Mustangs from even a few years ago, the GT’s sophisticated suspension is pliable, yet firm. It soaks up bumps and potholes, yet stays flat and composed through the tightest on-ramps.
DB: Ford’s big V8 truly does sing. Mercedes has been copying its basso profundo for years, so you might as well get the real deal. And it’s also plenty grunty for those needing to peel out, which is seemingly a Mustang owner’s favourite pastime. Whatever the case, the big V8 is a gem.
As for Mustangs handling, the steering is a bit more communicative and the brakes are not so bad, but it must be said that this Mustang still feels a bit brutish in the way it plows around corners. Give it full points for precision, a few less for finesse.
LW: Can we at least agree that the current gen is the most refined in its 50-year history?
DB: The Mustang is not my cup of tea, but I see why you and others like it so much. It feels more North American than the Chevrolet Camaro. The Dodge Challenger, authentic to its core, is a portly beast sportified only by outrageous amounts of power. Fast it may be, but corners flummox it.
That leaves the Mustang, master of perhaps no specific attribute, but sufficiently capable in all to be first choice among those looking for a genuinely North American pony car.