WORTH THE WAIT
First Drive: Redesigned and re-engineered 2015 Mustang hasn’t lost its magic:
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Who among us has not been touched in some way by the Ford Mustang? How many children, teens or adults vowed to own one after falling for its shape and simple downto-earth appeal? How many people tried to convince spouses the Mustang was an ideal family car?
How, after 50 years in the marketplace, can one car so dominate our dreams of driving fast, wild and free?
Blasting through the twisty canyons of Angeles Crest Highway, the exhaust from the 2015 Mustang GT and its V-8 engine roaring through the open windows as loudly as the California wind, the new car feels immediately alive and more comfortable than any Mustang before. There’s a sure-footedness as the car attacks canyon arcs, the GT seemingly asking, “is that all you got?”
Power, while not endless, unfolds smoothly across a broad range to the 6,500-rpm redline. The new, bigger brakes react instantly without fade. In a sense, this GT feels like a refined Boss 302. It may have taken 50 years to get here, but it sure was worth the wait.
Under my feet and at my hands are the controls to 435 horsepower, a sum that brings us full circle to the muscle car era of the late 1960s — indeed, marking a new high for horsepower in a Mustang GT. But instead of going back in time, the Mustang pushes through it, revealing itself to be a car that won’t stand still. The new front suspension and independent rear suspension — a first for a full-production Mustang — return a level of grip not seen in a Mustang before. Replacing the solid rear axle of yore, which wasn’t as terrible as many made it out to be, the geometry, springs, dampers and bushings of the rear suspension have been tuned for performance. The effect is profound. Not only is this the bestriding Mustang, it may be one of the best-riding, best-handling coupes.
More importantly, the question Facebook users have been asking — how effortlessly will the 2015 Mustang perform a burnout? — is answered. Many Pirelli P Zeros were harmed in the quest for this answer, but it can be said without embellishment the 2015 Mustang will rotate its rear tires for as long as the driver desires in the execution of full-throttle starts.
A “line lock” switch, accessible in the track apps feature, will also activate just the front brakes for burnouts so spectacular your significant other will impose the silent treatment for weeks, something line lock itself seems to acknowledge. A couple of onboard confirmations pretty much ask “are you sure you want to go through with this?”
Given the confirmation, the line lock will allow the driver to stand on the gas and create more rear tire smoke than a eucalyptus tree fire. Clearly, Ford has not forgotten what it means to own a ’Stang, nor what many owners will undoubtedly do with their cars.
About 40 kilograms heavier than the outgoing car, the 2015 Mustang GT weighs in at about 1,680 kg. That weight can be felt when driving as though running from the sheriff through mountain twisties, especially in the front end, but understeer is noticeably absent. Indeed, the new Mustang GT drives with a degree of sophistication that belies its $36,999 starting price. The larger cabin, smaller dash and lower, longer hood create decent visibility that allows the driver to feel at one with the car quite quickly.
That refinement is also evident in the Getrag manual six-speed transmission. New linkage means shifts are short, clean and easy to place, with the lever much closer to the driver. The clutch delivers good control without being too stiff. A six-speed automatic is also available, and comes with steering wheel-mounted shift paddles with rev-matching downshifts.
The new car is roughly 40 millimetres lower, wider by some 70 mm in the rear track — a move that required building a special press to stamp the steel rear hips — with a reduction in roof height. More importantly, the car simply looks correct — possibly as sharp as the 1966 GT 350. The front and rear glass are more steeply raked, there’s some handsome creases in the right places and three-dimensional, tri-bar tail lamps with sequential LED turn signals harken back to Mustangs of old while still looking current. All models get HID headlamps. Signature LED lights that look like shark gills add to the aggressive look. Canadian models will use the LED fog lights for daytime running lights.
Of course, the darling in the Mustang stable is the GT. Receiving a reworked 5.0-litre V-8 that now produces 435 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque, the engineering is rooted in the 2013 Mustang Boss 302, but the new GT was developed to “beat the Boss,” say Ford executives.
Somewhat like the enduring charm of the Porsche 911, the Mustang keeps its grip on our collective imagination by evolving instead of transforming, by maturing with each generation without ever abandoning the magical design ingredient that made it so popular since that day in April 1964.
The No. 1 most-liked vehicle on Facebook, the Mustang has always been special. The 2015 Mustang, arriving in showrooms mid-October, will have no trouble carrying on the tradition.