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IF you’re in the market for a big, shouty V8, then look this way.

It’s Ford’s Mustang convertible. Mightily impractical, hugely decadent but, when measured against the bangs-per-buck ruler, great value.

What’s not to like about a rear-wheel drive, 400bhp V8 sports car? Fuel consumption you say? Meh.

I’ll counter that concern with the line-lock button where you can activate the front brakes to hold the nose of the car still while you burn out the rear tyres. That’s the kind of irresponsible feature a person who doesn’t care about expense (or the planet) really needs.

I’m not normally a convertible kind of person. I’d usually prefer the extra chassis rigidity of a tin-top.

Besides, there’s something tragically sad about a balding middle-aged man in a roof-down soft top.

But in the convertible Mustang V8 there’s a very good reason to travel top-down and that’s the harmonious snarl from the twin exhausts which can be better heard with the roof stowed.

This car, after all, is all about the engine. That quad-cam, 32-valve V8 is a jewel. There’s so much instant grunt available and such a fantastic soundtrack you’re quick to forgive – for instance – the fairly nasty looking, very American dashboard.

There are four maps to choose from. Snow-wet, normal, sport and track. Power delivery, throttle responsiveness and gearbox settings are all altered, quite noticeably. But even in the most user-friendly snow-wet setting I couldn’t get the six-speed auto ’box to backshift smoothly.

Manual gearbox every time for me on that basis. You could spend the cash you save on petrol and rear tyres.

For your 40 grand you get massively powerful Brembo six-piston front calipers, a limited slip differential, three ESP settings and fully independent suspension all round.

Less importantly there are six-way adjustable power front seats, dual zone climate control, HID headlamps, a rear camera (handy for parking a big beastie like this) and a nine speaker hi-fi with DAB radio.

There’s cruise control (it is American after all), automatic wipers, power door mirrors and a steering wheel that offers a massive range of reach and rake adjustment. My point being, there’s a massive amount of standard kit in Mustang.

For me, it’s still all about that engine but for many buyers it’s also going to be about the amount of kit that comes as standard.

If you’ve ever configured your own BMW you’ll know exactly what I’m on about. And the performance figures are also slightly at odds with the £40k price tag.

The sprint to 62mph from standstill takes just 4.8 seconds, presumably less if you’re on a sticky drag strip and you pre-warm the rear tyres by using the line-lock facility first.

For a car that weighs a one-and-three quarter-tonnes, that’s pretty nifty. Top speed is capped at 155mph. That’s enough, isn’t it? But those figures don’t tell you what this car feels like when you accelerate past slower traffic. There’s no fuss, no lag, just instant forward thrust that seems weirdly at odds with how few revs this massive engine is turning over at.

It’s effortless.

So, if you are reading this and you feel an overriding urge to throw caution to the wind and buy a Mustang, my advice would be to opt for the

V8 and accept that

15mpg is a price worth paying for performance and the theatre of noise it offers. Save money by choosing the (better) manual gearbox. And I would have to suggest not opting for the pricier convertible but plumping for the tin-top.

You can always leave the windows down a little bit so you can enjoy the full magnificence from those exhaust tailpipes.