Ford Mustang V8 Convertible

Our muscle car gets a new keeper – one with plenty of previous with V8 long-termers. So how will it compare?

REGULAR READERS AMONGST you might be thinking I have a rock star rider that demands I’m furnished with a V8-powered longtermer. OK, so apart from stopgap Fast Fleeters in the shape of evo’s largely unloved Focus ST Estate and sci-fi BMW i8, I’ve had back-to-back bent eights: a Bentley Conti GT V8 S, Mercedes-amg C63 S Coupe, then a Lexus RC F. And now I’ve been given the key to the Mustang Convertible. It’s all coincidence, honest.

A 5-litre pony car isn’t the ideal daily driver when the UK is hit by a polar vortex. Especially when it’s equipped with summer tyres and an equally summery canvas roof. Consequently, I only managed a few days’ driving in the Stang before snow forced me to hole up at Meaden Towers, light the wood burner and watch re-runs of Salvage Hunters and Ice Road Truckers.

The latest-generation Mustang is a handsome brute. Fresh, but familiar, with some nice details (I especially like the tail lights) and a surplus of road presence. It’s been Europeanised to a degree, but there’s still that classic muscle-car vibe that’s intrinsic to the Mustang’s appeal.

First driving impressions are that it feels how it looks. That’s to say big, but well balanced, with a big character and satisfyingly beefy delivery. There’s something refreshingly simple and transparent about the way it does what it does. There’s a choice of settings for steering and engine response, but whichever you select, the car is easy to read. It’s not contrived or exaggerated.

The engine feels sharp and responsive, with plenty of torque, but also an appetite for revs. The clutch has a long travel and the gearshift is a bit knuckly, so you tend to be measured with your inputs. It’s actually quite hard to drive it smoothly (I know, that sounds like me making excuses), I suspect because the throttle map is a bit lumpy. The brakes are a little sharp, too. It all melds a bit more when you drive quickly, but at a low-to-moderate pace it’s harder than it should be to find your flow. Traitorous as it sounds, I’d be curious to try an auto.

Do I like the Mustang? Yes, of course. Am I expecting to like it more as I get to know it better? Again, yes. The weather’s grim as I write, but spring is just around the corner. When the sun shows its face the Stang will come into its own.