FORD MUSTANG
Sometimes, this car’s American heritage can be a real blessing
Fuel economy is not something I mean to dwell on because, frankly, if you buy anything with more than 400bhp and use it, don’t go crying to mummy over the fuel bills. Given my dismal habit of driving the Mustang short distances, the trip computer generally sulks at 21-22mpg.
However, I used it for an airport run the other day, something that involved mainly motorway driving. I also reset the trip computer to see what the 5.0-litre V8 could manage at a steady cruise over 60 to 70 miles.
Sit down for the next bit. It did 31mpg. Yes, I know, an impressive result. It’s also quite surprising because physics suggest the frictional and parasitic losses in an engine big enough to power a Mississippi paddle steamer ought to be lousy. This is why manufacturers are turning to small engines with turbos to boost power. All this suggests that the Ford engine is cunningly well engineered and I noticed early on that it takes the latest super-low-viscosity oil.
The idea is that the lower-viscosity fluid exerts less drag on the bits whizzing round in the engine, and if you’ve ever tried running in a swimming pool, you’ll know how much energy that consumes.
One reason I risked those gorgeous flanks in an airport car park was because we were in the middle of a heatwave and the air conditioning in my daily driver needs a re-gas. Luckily, the Mustang’s Custom Pack option includes heated and cooled seats. Cooled seats are not often needed in the UK, it’s true, except on those odd occasions every 40 years when temperatures soar to near Death Valley levels inside cars. I can’t tell you how glad I was of the Mustang’s American heritage at that point because, make no mistake, it has proper air conditioning.
That airport run involved an early start and doing it at sunrise in the pony car was great, so great I’ve tapped its registration number into the long-stay parking website for the next trip. Must remember to stick Tequila Sunrise on the ‘stereo’ next time.