Aggressive styling for ‘last petrol Mustang’
● 5.0-litre V8 under bonnet ● Dash features twin screens
THE world is running short of sports cars, let alone those powered by pure combustion, but Ford still believes there’s a place for this type of vehicle, so has invested in an all-new Mustang, which is hotly tipped to be the last generation of the car to feature petrol power.
Revealed at last week’s Detroit Motor Show, the world’s best-selling sports coupé has an evolutionary exterior look and upgraded V8 and four-cylinder engines under the bonnet, plus a cabin with much greater in-car technology.
Available as a coupé and a convertible, the new Mustang has LED headlights (which are slimmer than on the previous car) hooded by an aggressive bonnet, dual air intakes in the front grille to improve performance, and aggressive 19-inch multispoke alloy wheels that hide Brembo brakes, included as part of a standard-fit Performance Pack. At the rear the extended deck houses sharper-looking light clusters.
Inside, Ford has done away with the previous car’s ‘double-brow’ dashboard in favour of a pair of screens. A customisable 12.4-inch digital instrument display is joined by a 13.2-inch central screen running Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment set-up.
“We’re taking advantage of every pixel,” says Craig Sandvig, the car’s Interaction Design Manager. “We can be creative in showing driving information and give the driver control of selecting colours, classic gauges or a screen with minimal details.”
The result is what is described as the most digital Mustang ever, with no physical buttons for the heating and ventilation, although there is a stereo volume knob.
Ford hasn’t outlined specific output figures for the next-generation 5.0-litre V8 that will power the more potent Mustangs, beyond saying that it is stronger than the unit it replaces. It’s believed to produce around 480bhp and 500Nm – although this has already been ramped up to 500bhp for the track-focused Dark Horse edition that’s accompanying the new model’s launch.
The new car is available with either a sixspeed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic, with both gearboxes sending drive to the rear wheels. A rev-matching function for the six-speed manual car is standard on Mustang GT models.
There are six customisable driving modes available – Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track and an Individual setting – and the new Mustang is said to feature a more responsive chassis along with a faster steering ratio.
The car is confirmed for right-handdrive production, although there’s no word yet on UK sales or prices.