2024 Ford Mustang GT: The American Dream Automobile

Image it; Los Angeles, 2024, and there’s a brand new era of a storied two-door coupe (aka an precise coupe) that comes customary with a 6-speed handbook transmission and a vicious five-liter V8 underneath the hood. “Why, Erin,” I hear you say, as your weary gaze lifts to the clearing skies after your drowsy drive into work by way of your anemic PHEV. “Such a factor just isn’t doable.”

I say, open your eyes, baby, and gaze on the attainable dream that’s the Ford Mustang GT. Energy and persona in a package deal accessible to not less than those that have made all of it the best way to center class.

It’s a automobile that actually made certainly one of my desires come true: to drive Angeles Crest Freeway. Whereas I’ve been to L.A. a great deal of instances, I haven’t had many alternatives to drive the historic and legendary freeway myself.

Full Disclosure: Ford flew me out to Los Angeles and put me up in a resort with the intention to give myself and fellow visitor journalists a completely gassed up Mustang GT Efficiency Convertible for a morning of blazing up and down the Angeles Crest Freeway.

The Mustang GT is a step above the EcoBoost in efficiency and worth. Swapping out the two.3-liter, 315-horsepower EcoBoost engine for a mighty Coyote 5.0-liter V8, the GT achieves 486 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque — probably the most highly effective Coyote engine but. And let me inform you; the sound this new canine makes when howling down a closed stone tunnel is actually particular. The car I drove was top-of-the-line and totally loaded; a Ford Mustang GT Convertible, the MSRP for which begins at $52,515.

With the GT, you get a extra aggressive, open grille than the EcoBoost to permit for extra air move. New hood vents and a redesigned entrance splitter additionally go a great distance in direction of letting everybody know simply what sort of pony confirmed up for the rodeo.

The Efficiency Pack in each the EcoBoost and the GT consists of track-ready goodies like a Torsen restricted slip differential, wider rear wheels and tires, and Brembro brakes. The GT comes with a number of particular choices, nevertheless, like brake ducts for much more enhanced cooling, non-obligatory RECARO seats and energetic exhaust. The GT additionally will get 19-inch wheels customary, in addition to actual leather-based seats and non-obligatory 20-inch alloy wheels.

The GT comes with the identical utterly up to date digital cockpit as we described in our EcoBoost overview, however right here’s a rundown; two curved screens tilted in direction of the driving force make up the 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and the 13.2-inch middle stack. Each are run on the online game creation software program Unreal Engine, and supply lovely animated graphics, intuitive touchscreen for much less important programs with loads of coloration and structure choices to make your Mustang your individual. Ford’s superior driver help system, Ford 360, can also be an possibility that offers you probably the greatest Stage 2 self-driving programs available on the market.

Ford says 27 % of GT patrons are going to go for the handbook transmission. Whereas these are nonetheless solely a contented few, it’s a heartening take fee. The GT is a driver’s automobile in spite of everything and it wouldn’t do to not row your individual gears. You may count on loads of low-rev torque within the first few gears with the transmission actually hitting the candy spot for dealing with round third or 4th, however even fifth gear had loads of pull. The MagneRide energetic suspension additionally shined brighter within the GT, with Sport mode firming and tightening each facet of the drive from suspension to steering. It’s actually the uncommon American sports activities coupe that may nonetheless hold you in your toes.

I hadn’t been in a handbook transmission for a number of years for a myriad of causes, so I used to be a tad nervous to get behind the wheel of a reasonably highly effective beast and head down a freeway most identified for it’s legendary twists, turns and steep drops. However the clutch was so responsive, the rev matching so lifeless on and the shifting so easy that I used to be again in that saddle very quickly. I wasn’t taking the turns fairly like a neighborhood (I’m not about to take a tumble down the facet of the San Gabriel Mountains over delight) however I did hit a confidence and velocity I didn’t count on.

It’s inconceivable to not have enjoyable revving a V8 up excessive and shifting quick. Choosing between drive modes by way of buttons of the steering wheels resulted in a easy but noticeable transition from regular to sport. It felt comfy and utterly intuitive. After I acquired caught behind some slower visitors, my regular cool shifted. Who had been these Kia Soul drivers in my manner? I needed to go, go, go. And that’s what this automobile does for you.

My co-driver was a local to southern California and intensely accustomed to the Crest. He had much more success in throwing the GT into the curves and pushing the engine by way of the transient straight aways. Even throughout arduous driving nevertheless, myself and my co-driver had been comfortably held in place. That brings me to a different facet of the Mustang GT — it’s so accessible. It’s a fantastic first-time sports activities automobile purchaser. It’s comfy and operates like a daily automobile, solely with unbelievable energy and efficiency proper at your fingertips. You may not all the time drive it like a deviant who wants their driver’s license expunged, however the possibility is all the time there. If I had a number of extra days to grasp the freeway, who is aware of what sort of unbelievable kicks may have been had. Once more, our journey was extremely easy and quiet, even within the convertible.

Mustang fandom represents extra than simply enthusiasm for a sure model; it’s a life-long seek for the American dream of by some means getting higher yearly whereas preserve custom. Even the parents constructing Mustangs out in Flat Rock, Michigan are sometimes house owners and fans of the model. It’s an inexpensive thrill, and only for somewhat extra scratch, you possibly can have much more thrills. Let’s face it, nothing fairly compares to the growl of an actual V8 and 6 speeds of risk at your fingertips. Nicely, presumably the Ford Mustang Darkish Horse. However that’s a overview for an additional day.