Available for sale exclusively in 'Ford Stores' (new super dealerships), the Kansas-built piece of Americana is certainly a head-turner. We went to southern Germany and the hills of Austria to put the new 2+2 coupé through its paces before it arrives in Ireland in late October.
Mustang has an outrageously impressive heritage, dating back to 1964. At the time, it was an automotive revelation as it created a new US 'Pony Class' car category. The Ford Falcon-based muscle car was affordable and very cool.
Over the years the car failed to evolve and, by European standards, was rubbish to drive! It featured cart spring suspension from the Stone Age and could only go in a straight line.
Thankfully, the latest, sixth-generation machine has been built with Europe in mind. European buyers get a choice of two modern engines and, most importantly, all-round independent suspension. Now, Mustang actually likes to go around corners!
With this stunning rear-wheel drive Ford a whole new generation, who might care little about the P51 Mustang or America's wild horses, will grow to love the convertible and fastback versions for their looks alone. Older buyers will love buying into the whole Steve McQueen/Bullitt connection and the car's countless other movie roles. You simply can't ignore Mustang when you see it in the flesh - it sparks your imagination.
Ford sees Mustang as a brand in its own right and you won't find a Ford emblem or even a Mustang nameplate on the two-door machine! If you see a Mustang emblem on the boot it's the 2.3-litre 'Tang'. If you see 'GT', it has a bruising V8 under the hood... eh, I meant bonnet. Mustang is a big beast but is surprisingly light. The EcoBoost 2.3-litre weighs just 1,620kg and the 5.0-litre GT is slightly beefier at 1,650kg.
European Mustangs get a more sophisticated standard suspension set-up than US machines, featuring better springs and dampers plus better trim. This means, Euro/Dollar exchange rate aside, European Mustangs are dearer.
Prices start at €46,000 for the manual 2.3 and the auto is €3,000 more. The price walk to the convertible is €6,000. The GT V8 starts at €62,000 (€65,000 Auto) and €70,000 for the drop-top (€73,000 Auto). The tax band range goes from 'E' to 'G'. Mustang is a thirsty beast, even if you don't explore its performance potential. The fuel tank holds what will prove to be a modest 60 litres.
We took the 317hp EcoBoost convertible on test first and were amazed at how planted the wide machine was. The engine lacks the natural roar of the V8 GT but the artificially-generated soundtrack is satisfying as it is fed through the car's interior. The six-speed manual was nice to use and the clutch surprisingly light for such a powerful engine.
The V8 doesn't need an artificial soundtrack and is pure indulgence. It pulls like a train and you drive it with a bit more caution, knowing that you can get its rear to step out quite easily.
In mid-September, prior to Mustang's Irish launch, The Ford Mustang Drive Experience will see a bunch of Irish people living the dream as they cross Route 66 in brand new Mustangs. The Celtic Horizon Tours Chicago to Los Angeles (4,000 km) driving event is open to the public and takes two weeks.
Mustang is a marvellous machine, which, in Ireland at present, has no natural rivals.
Michael Sheridan
