2018 Mustang Convertible
An enviable guilty pleasure
For more than five decades, the Ford Mustang has treated buyers young and old to a special kind of driving enjoyment. But the widest feel-good grins and the strongest urges to discover open roads for unrestricted views of the passing scenery are reserved for the Mustang convertible. The restyled 2018 drop-top further amps up those feelings. Ford lengthened and lowered the hood and installed a slightly bigger grille, which makes the Mustang look sleeker and a bit meaner. New functional hood vents were also added and LED headlamps are now standard. Unchanged is the omnipresent sense of heritage that’s a significant part of the Mustang’s design and means so much to the car’s loyal fans. The convertible looks pretty good with the insulated cloth top in place, but the car is a stunner when the top is stowed beneath the bodywork. Even when retracted into the body, there’s still a fair amount of trunk space (for a convertible, that is), at least enough for a couple of small suitcases or a golf bag. There are also suspension upgrades for 2018, including new anti-roll bars and the availability of electronic adaptive shock absorbers. The analog gauges are replaced by a customizable digital display and the Line Lock feature (standard with manual transmission models) lets you smoke the rear tires while sitting stationary, in true drag-race warm-up style. Without question the biggest change for 2018 was the cancellation of the 3.7-litre V-6 as the base engine, leaving the ’Stang’s turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder to take over that role. If you think that a tiny turbo engine reduces the Mustang to poser status, you’re in for a big surprise. Ford has reworked the engine so that it puts out 350 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm, or 30 more pound-feet than the 2017 version. The horsepower rating remains unchanged at 310. Putting those numbers into perspective, the now-banished V-6 was rated at 300 horses and 280 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm. The standard-issue six-speed manual transmission has been beefed up to handle the increased torque and the available six-speed automatic has been replaced by a 10-speed unit with paddle controls. The shifts are imperceptible and it reacts immediately to accelerator inputs, and at any speed. With either transmission, combined city/highway fuel consumption is rated at 9.4 l/100 km. The officially named Mustang EcoBoost’s four-cylinder engine makes a nice burbling sound that’s most noticeable with the top down, but that’s nothing compared to the Mustang GT’s excellent 460-horsepower 5.0-litre V-8. At full song, that engine’s hollowed-out guttural rumble is just plain demonic. The GT does have one drawback: It will empty your bank account to the tune of $54,850 (included destination costs). By contrast, the turbo convertible’s base price rings in at $36,400. The GT also empties the gas tank sooner (high-octane only, please). Opting for the EcoBoost Premium gets you leather-covered seats (power-adjustable and heated and cooled in front), dual-zone climate controls, eight-inch touchscreen as well as interior dress-up items. There are several options to temp EcoBoost Premium buyers, such as a voice-activated navigation, 12-speaker premium audio package, Recarobrand sport bucket seats and 20-inch wheels (17-inchers are standard). There are also packages that get you crash-avoiding/mitigating activesafety technology, carbon-fiber trim, blacked-out spoiler and wheels, and multi-colour ambient lighting. Ultimately, most drivers will be happy with the turbo’s overall performance. With roughly 90 kilograms less weight than the GT, the EcoBoost drives almost like a European roadster once you exit the freeway and head for the back roads. The car feels composed, the ride is comfortable and compliant, and the convertible body feels as tight as the coupe’s. Despite the fact there are no shortage of Mustang convertibles on the road, smiles and waves from passers-by are practically guaranteed, leaving no doubt that the Mustang mystique lives on . . . no matter the number of cylinders are under the hood.