Hat-trick sales for iconic Mustang
HAPPY 54th birthday Ford Mustang. This iconic and sought-after vehicle takes the hattrick as the best-selling sports coupé in the world and has already made its legendary mark right here is SA, topping the sales charts, with the Porsche brand offering a good fight in the overall sales race.
The global demand for the new 2018 Ford Mustang has driven the vehicle to its third straight year as the best-selling sports coupé in the world, with 2017 sales totalling 125 809 cars.
Since global exports began in 2015, through December 2017, Ford has sold 418 000 Mustangs worldwide.
This data puts the Ford Mustang ahead of all other sports coupé competitors worldwide. In South Africa, 1 929 Mustangs have been sold since the local introduction in early 2016.
The most popular configuration worldwide is the Mustang GT, with the 5.0-liter V8. The Mustang has taken an early lead as the best-selling sports car in South Africa so far in 2018.
But Porsche is in hot pursuit. The Mustang has found 171 new homes so far, according to Naamsa sales.
The Porsche 911 sold 50 fewer units (121 units so far). Both Porsche and Ford are the only auto-makers to achieve triple-digit sales in the first quarter of 2018.
Sports coupés include twodoor and convertible models. Whether it’s “Eleanor”, the 1967 Ford Mustang driven by Nicholas Cage in Gone in 60 Seconds, or the Chevrolet Caprice in Dukes of Hazard, cars play a huge role in films and often they’re the star of the show, featuring prominently in the respective movies. Ford’s iconic Mustang has made 809 film appearances, including Death Race and Bullitt.
And who can forget that famous song about the car, Mustang Sally, sung by American rockers, The Commitments?
The new Mustang is the first Ford with front-wheel aero curtains that help guide airflow across the front wheels.
Careful shaping of the new Mustang’s front and rear help keep the car planted on the road for confident handling and steering at high speeds.
The bold, muscular form of the Mustang re-imagines the iconic sports car shape in a way that retains the character that fans expect from the brand, while incorporating aerodynamic technology that improves fuel efficiency and performance.
Even with the classic, forward-leaning shark-bite grille and an aggressive stance for the new Mustang, the aerodynamics team has made it slice through the air smoothly for increased fuel efficiency, while also keeping it planted on the road at higher speeds.
In optimising the aerodynamics, the Ford engineers and design team adopted a pioneering approach for the new Mustang, giving it the first Ford application of wheel-aero curtains.
Vertical slots in the outer edge of the front fascia channels air from the front of the car to openings in the wheel wells, directing it across the outer surface of the wheel and tyre. The wall of high speed air works much like a skirt to reduce drag, while still leaving the beautifully designed alloy wheels fully exposed.
In addition to helping define the visual identity of a car like the Mustang, the grille also has to provide an inlet for air that cools the engine. Allowing air to flow through the engine bay instead of directing it around the sides and over the top of the body increases drag. Each of Mustang’s two engines gets a unique grille that allows in only as much air as that power plant needs.
Active grille shutters will help make the Mustang, powered by the new 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, even more fuel efficient by further reducing drag at higher speeds when extra cooling capacity is not needed.
The shutters can completely close off the grille, sending air over and around the car instead of through the engine compartment. Even the ribs that make up the mesh in the grille have been carefully shaped to reduce air resistance and wind noise.
Designed from the wheels up to deliver maximum drop-top enjoyment, the Mustang convertible is a fantastic way to escape the daily grind of life and hit the open road.
With its distinct style and a completely redesigned top system, drivers can enjoy the shining sun or the stars quicker with all the performance and character of the Mustang.
Creating the new Mustang convertible involved far more than just slicing the top off the Fastback. The two cars were designed and engineered from the ground up, incorporating an array of visually subtle but important changes to make sure each stood on its own, while meeting increased standards of quality, performance and refinement.
For the first time on Mustang, every convertible roof gets a full-fabric outer layer for the roof plus a full-inner headliner to enclose the five-bow structure.
Sandwiched in between these layers is a full 10mm thick insulation pad that makes the convertible nearly as quiet inside with the top up as the fastback.
Lowering the Z-fold roof is a simple and easy process. The new electromechanical drive system lowers the roof in seven seconds and raises it in 10, with just a press of a button on the centre console.
The new Mustang Convertible inspires drivers to put the top down and hit the road, so having usable cargo space is a big plus. The compact roof and flat-load floor enabled by the independent rear suspension ensures that the 332-litre luggage compartment is big enough to swallow two large golf bags. The Mustang boasts a 408-litre capacity.
MODEL RANGE:
2.3 EcoBoost Manual Fastback 2.3 EcoBoost Automatic Convertible
2.3 EcoBoost Automatic Fastback
5.0 V8 GT Manual Fastback 5.0 V8 GT Automatic Convertible 5.0 V8 GT Automatic Fastback
All models are sold with a four-year/120 000km comprehensive warranty, five-year/ 100 000km service plan, threeyear/unlimited km roadside assistance and five-year/ unlimited km corrosion warranty. Service intervals are every 20 000km.