Regular reader Buck asked for my opinion on the New Mustang . The word "Mustang" invokes so many thoughts and emotions that I am not sure I can be objective on the topic. After all, the original 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang ignited the fires of car devotion in me when I was eight years old. My family and I have owned five Mustangs (a '65 convertible, two '66's coupes, a '67 convertible and a '84 coupe) over the years and although I am a confirmed Honda fan today, I still have a soft spot in my heart (and probably my head) for all things Ford.
The Ford Mustang has always promised so much and delivered so very little. While the Mustang image is shaped by Shelby's hand-built racecars and the car's silhouette has been lent to various drag and road race versions, the street Mustang is style over substance. That is to say that the Mustang has always had pretty mundane underpinning covered by some sexy sheet metal that suggests speed and performance. In the great scope of performance cars, the stock Mustang of any era would rank somewhere near the rear of the field. Oh yes, it was and is possible to order a high horsepower Mustang from your local Ford dealer and that car may actually have some decent road manners on the twisities. But the overwhelming majority of Mustangs that roll off the dealer's lot are... dare I say it?... girl's cars. I know that is a sexist statement and I will rot in hell for all eternity for saying it. But the truth of the matter is that most Mustangs (about 75%) are automatic transmission-equipped, six cylinder commuter coupes that will never be driven with any kind of enthusiasm. Ford is counting on the image (and smoky burn outs at the local drive-in hamburger stand) of the V8 equipped Mustangs to carry the name plate's reputation.
The current version of the Mustang rides on the same platform as the S-type Jaguar and the soon to be extinct Thunderbird which is a huge improvement over the old Fox platform that been the basis of the Mustang for over twenty years. And the new car's styling is faithful to the image; the car looks like what we all expect a Mustang to look like. A long hood, a short rear deck, the fastback rood line, the various details in the front and rear end caps all scream MUSTANG from a mile away. The dash board features chrome rimmed bezels in a retro homage to days gone by. The rear seat is as cramped and unusable as any Mustang and the truck space is accessed through a mail slot.
The 200 horsepower V6 base engine powers the portly 3600 pound Mustang to a decent 18:1 power to weigh ratio which will make your Saturn's 24:1 power to weight ratio seem like a lead sled. The 300 horsepower V8 Mustang hustles the car's hulk to a snappy 12:1 power to weigh ratio which could lead the un-informed to believe that he is driving a performance car. When in fact he would discover at the first turn that the softly sprung Mustang is happiest in a straight line. Ford has wisely decided that comfort and quiet will be more prized to Mustang owners that being to squeeze another tenth of a second on the skid pad.
As such, Ford has given the new Mustang a solid rear axle which pleases the drag racing crowd who do not like to be challenged with technology newer that the anvil. The aerodynamic shape of the new Mustang has been compared to a brick. The fit and finish is adequate while the switch gear and interior panels are Ford Traditional: Cheap to the touch.
The Convertible Mustang is a huge seller, particularly to rental fleets in Florida and Hawaii where tourists enhance their tropical vacations with sunstroke and wind-blown hair. The new Mustang's platform receives extra bracing to compensate from loss of the hard roof, but the topless version is never going to make anyone forget German roadster rigidity.
For what is meant to be, a sporty commuter car/grocery getter, the new Mustang fills the bill admirably. And your neighbors will be impressed with its sharp styling. But do not challenge any C6 Corvettes to a race out to Dead Man's Curve, they will kick your butt.