Performance at its Core
The 2018 Ford Mustang arrives with unprecedented power, lowdown styling, a new 10- speed automatic transmission, and enough models and colors to satisfy any Mustang enthusiast.
Ten versions are available: Six fastback coupes and four convertibles with three engine and two transmission choices. All of them can deliver driving excitement and an adrenaline rush -- even the tested model with the 2.3- liter turbocharged EcoBoost four- cylinder, which makes 310 horsepower and 350 lb.- ft. of torque. It now is the only alternative to the V- 8 engine in the Mustang GT; the previous V- 6 engine is no longer available.
The 5- 0- liter V- 8 delivers 460 horsepower with 420 lb.- ft. of torque. Like other new Mustangs, it is available with a six- speed manual gearbox or the new 10- speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted manually with steering wheel paddles.
Also offered are two fastback Shelby GT 5.0 V- 8 models with 526 horsepower and 429 lb.- ft. of torque. We tested the Fastback 2.3- liter fourbangers and 5.0- liter GTs with performance packages at the press introduction in the Malibu hills near Los Angeles, Calif. – the latter with both the six- speed manual and 10- speed automatic.
Dedicated enthusiasts likely will opt for the stick shift, which features a slick and positive linkage and easy clutch engagement. With all those horses pawing at the pavement, the GT manual can be driven in almost any gear in any circumstance. There’s enough power to tool around at modest speeds in fifth or sixth gear, and you can quickly get up to freeway speeds in first and second.
The 10- speed does as well, automatically, but it has a curious quirk. With the shift lever in “Drive,” it sometimes gets befuddled at modest speeds, hesitating then lurching. It overcomes that if you stomp on the throttle. The solution, Ford engineers acknowledge, is to drive it in the “Sport” mode.
The 10- speed’s paddle shifters are there for the entertainment value. But modern, computercontrolled automatic transmissions handle the shifts with more dexterity than humans. Even professional drivers on road- racing courses now often allow the computer to determine the shifting, especially when driving cars with rev- matching on downshifts. The GT has both rev- matching and drag strip launch control.
In spite of the GT’s 0- to- 60- mph sprint at a hair shy of 4 seconds and a top speed of 155 miles an hour, the 2.3- liter is no slouch. It can reach 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, with a top speed of around 140, and still manages a city/ highway/ combined fuel economy rating of 21/ 32/ 25 miles to the gallon compared to the GT’s 15/ 25/ 18. Premium gasoline is required for both engines.
Some enthusiasts might even prefer the 2.3liter because its lighter front end delivers better cornering balance on curving mountain roads. On a road racing course with long straightaways, track enthusiasts would obviously prefer the GT for its massive power, or even one of the Shelby variants.
Besides its slicker profile, the 2018 Mustang, depending on the model, comes with full safety equipment, including lane- keeping assist and a pre- collision system that can detect pedestrians.
The GT had a base price of $ 39,095. The starting price for the 2.3- liter Mustang is $ 25,585.
The Mustang has now been with us for nearly the double nickel -- 55 years -- a long ways from the original 1965 model, introduced in 1964, with a 101- horsepower, 2.8- liter six- cylinder engine and a three- speed floor- mounted gearshift. Evolution of engine revolution is grand.