Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
GURGLING MUSTANG
IN DECEMBER, South Africa will celebrate three years since the right-hand drive Ford Mustang was officially launched here, and with the facelift (and Bullitt) on the way, it made sense to jump into one and see why the world (particularly petrolheads) go ga-ga when they see a Mustang.
The original Mustang was based on the second-generation North American Ford Falcon platform and it gave birth to the “pony car” class of American muscle cars – affordable sporty coupés with long hoods and short rear decks.
The Mustang took the fight to Chevrolet’s Camaro, Pontiac’s Firebird, AMC’s Javelin, Plymouth’s Barracuda, and the Dodge Challenger.
I’ve loved the Mustang since I first laid eyes on a 1960s model, white, with GT stripes over the roof and bonnet. I’d never seen, or heard, a car like this in the metal before and I’ll never forget the sound it made when the owner fired it up for the group of us that had gathered around it. The new car gets this same kind of attention.
But what about this new Mustang itself – is it actually a good car? Well, it’s no longer a car from the 60s, that’s for sure. Customers can choose from a thundering 5.0-litre V8 or the 2.3 EcoBoost engine (similar to the one found in the Focus RS and forthcoming Focus ST). We, naturally, asked Ford to deliver a V8 to test. They delivered a convertible, automatic transmission model.
At highveld altitude, the car doesn’t feel as powerful as the spec sheet suggests, and the long gearing on the automatic gearbox doesn’t do it any favours when it comes to sprints either. I tried the different engine mapping modes, and also drove it in manual-shift mode from time to time, but found it lacked that kick in the gut that’s expected of a car like this. There are hotter models to choose from overseas, but this GT is for cruising (and “glaying”), to put it colloquially.
Ford’s off-beat firing 5.0-litre V8 engine employs sequential multi-port electronic fuel injection and variable camshaft timing to produce a hefty 306kW of power, along with a thunderous 530Nm of torque. Ford claims a sub-five seconds 0-100km/h sprint time.
Styling-wise, it’s distinctive. You won’t mistake the Mustang for any other make or model on the road. It has tons of presence and, whether the roof is up or down, there’s an overwhelming “good” feeling from the driver’s seat. The folding roof is charmingly old-school in nature, but does feature multi-layer insulated cloth. To open the roof, you grab and turn a latch near the rear-view mirror and then press and hold the roof-operation button.
There are other cool bits and bobs in the Mustang to keep you entertained too. You can use the toggle switches on the dashboard console to quickly adjust steering effort, engine response, transmission mapping and electronic stability control settings.
Should you fancy yourself as a drag racer, the convertible isn’t the one to go for, though – you need the coupé with a manual gearbox.
To help you get the most from the car at the strip, the Mustang GT also comes with a Track Apps function that can be controlled at the steering wheel.
The manual V8 model’s transmission system also comes with a Launch Control mode that holds the engine at a pre-set RPM between 3 000 and 4 500rpm with the accelerator fully depressed. When the clutch is released, torque delivery to the rear wheels is controlled for maximum traction and consistent standing starts. An electronic Line Lock system (also available for the 5.0-litre V8) applies only the front brakes, allowing drivers to warm the rear tyres.
VERDICT
A coupé makes more sense to me as an everyday kind of car and the manual transmission will give more interaction. The only challenge I had with the Mustang during the test period was trying to figure out if the fuel tank had a hole in it. I averaged over 20 litres per 100km, giving a range of less than 300km on a full (61-litre) tank of unleaded. If you can afford the fuel, get the V8. It’s packed with comforts, rides like a big, planted car on the road, and if you want to get up to shenanigans, it can do that too. Prices start at R955 800 for the GT with soft top and you’ll get the standard fouryear/120 000km Ford warranty. | IOL Motoring