Mustang mighty 5L V8 is back

Metropol writer Ben Selby was the only South Island motoring reviewer invited to Adelaide earlier this month for the launch of the exciting new Ford Mustang. He found the latest offering very much alive and kicking, well into its 60th year of production. Read on…

Upon arrival in Adelaide, we were greeted by a line-up of Mustangs all glistening in the Australian sunshine. Outside, the latest Mustang sports that legendary and instantly identifiable silhouette. It features edgier and more menacing stance with new scoops and accents front to rear. Plus, the frown on those Tri-Bar LED headlights gives the vibe this new muscle car is up to no good. You also have the iconic Mustang taillights which are more deeply raked to complement the slightly longer swooping rear, bonnet scoops and a set of swish-looking 19-inch alloys.

Inside, the seventh-generation Mustang has received a cabin overhaul. A new 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster display uses Unreal Engine 3D gaming-style software to display a range of high-res graphics one would usually find on the latest racing game simulators. These display when you cycle through the drive modes via the new steering wheel, which does feel good in your mitts. Another cool feature is the inclusion of the driver being able to select from a variety of classic Mustang digital rev counter and speedometer. The choices include the classic 67, Fox Body cars from the late eighties and early nineties and the black on white SVT Cobra dials (my favourite) from the early 00s.

Paired to that aforementioned cluster is a new 13.2-inch SYNC 4 centre infotainment screen which is angled towards the driver. When these two screens come together, it results in “a jet-fighter style cockpit,” though I do miss those old Mustang speedometer pods. Overall, comfortable leather-clad seats, a 12-speaker B&O sound system and a greater feeling of interior quality mean this is by far the most refined feeling and technologically driven Mustang cabin to date.

Under the bonnet, the mighty 5.0L Coyote V8 is back with a vengeance with 362kW/567Nm to play with, a 10-speed automatic transmission and a dual intake throttle body induction system with structural upgrades and an upgraded oil pan which allows higher rates of airflow to minimise induction loss.

Ford Mustang Program Chief Engineer Laurie Transou, who we were fortunate to chat with via video conference during the event, says the V8 is an integral part of the Mustang’s past and its future. “The Mustang V8 is always met with tonnes of enthusiasm. We are very strategic about how we plan the next V8 engine, an element which is very important for the Mustang,” she says. Laurie understands what makes the Mustang such a cult icon, having been with Ford for 30 years and even learning to drive in a Fox body Mustang. “As long as we can balance our feet, we will continue to offer a V8,” says Laurie.

First up was a spirited drive through the beautiful Adelaide Hills on our way to The Bend Motorsport Park. The Mustang GT’s updated fourth-generation Coyote V8 pulls strongly and thanks to that 10-speed automatic transmission which keeps the torque curve seamless and linear, it never seeming to let up in terms of power. Plus, its active-valve quad-performance exhaust system delivers a dose of bellowing V8 thunder.

In the corners, it also feels more sports car-like than any Mustang before it. It never once feels wayward or unsettled if you decide to push that little bit harder. That said, the time to push even harder would come the following day at The Bend Motorsport Park, possibly the best purpose-built racing facility in Australia.

We spent the night at Rydges Hotel at The Bend and I awoke to the sound of cawing ravens and the rumble of Mustangs warming up for the day’s activities. It was track time. The new Mustang GT does feel two or three steps ahead over the previous generation on track. The Mustang features multiple drive modes, including Track and Drag Strip, the latter two were more than ideal for the day’s activities, though best not used on the public road.

Anyway, there was never an occasion as we tore around The Bend’s rather technical circuit where the Mustang GT didn’t feel out of its depth. Ford claim the seventh generation Mustang is “the most track-focused Mustang yet,” and after a few laps at the helm, I would certainly agree. It’s a hard charger with the handling prowess to complement its ability to devour the straights.

Plus, the new “stang” can also make you laugh in other ways. When the time came to visit the skid pan, where I found myself trying my best to hold the Mustang GT in an over steer slide for as long as possible, the Mustang’s optional electronic “drift brake” function was put to the test.

The drift brake overrides the stability control system, locking the rear brakes and provides the absolute maximum amount of rear braking when the driver pulls the centre console mounted lever. The end result is you can do 180-degree handbrake turns like a professional stunt driver, easily. This was a real treat.

Another was experiencing the new Mustang’s evil twin, the Dark Horse. Referred to as the Mustang “no-one saw coming,” the Dark Horse is the first entirely new Mustang performance series in 21 years.

The limited run Dark Horse builds on the features found in the GT considerably, with more power from the 5.0L Coyote V8 thanks to modified piston connecting rods. Power sits at 373kW instead of 362kW. Alongside the 10-speed auto box, you also have the option of a TREMEC six-speed manual transmission from the Shelby GT350, Recaro bucket seats, a blue gear lever, blue stitching, enhanced cooling, larger brakes, larger sway bars, a rear sub-frame from the Shelby GT500, more aggressive aero and styling cues, and a new menacing looking forward facing pony emblem.

It also features MagneRide suspension which is able to monitor tyre and wheel movement 1000 times per second to give the smoothest possible ride. It even incorporates new “Pothole Mitigation” technology which when a pothole is detected, the suspension is readied to prevent bottoming out to aid in that smooth ride.

On track, the Dark Horse does feel like a different animal. The TREMEC six-speed box features close ratios and each shift is a short satisfying throw. Its savage ability to put the power down is quite something, especially as it will allow you to reach 100kph from a standstill in 3.7 seconds and as I found out, touch 220kph down the main straight at The Bend.

That big power is also manageable and doesn’t leave you feeling like it’s beyond your control. The Dark Horse gives one the confidence to brake later and get on the power sooner. The tweaks underneath mean this is probably the sharpest handling Mustang to date. This is one wild pony which can be tamed for lap after glorious lap.

The final part was to cruise the Aussie highways back to Adelaide, this time with the roof off in the Mustang GT Convertible. The Convertible, whether roof up or down, looks just as striking as the Fastback and even with that roof down, boot space is not overtly compromised. I was still able to fit a medium sized suitcase and backpack and still have room to spare. Feeling just as tight and together as the GT Fastback but the added bonus of hearing that Coyote V8 even more, it was the cherry on top of the cake.

After two days of experiencing all the seventh-generation Ford Mustang GT had to offer, this motoring scribe is certainly rather hungry for more. While the Dark Horse was undoubtedly the highlight of the tour, the new Mustang’s abilities to serve up acceleration which can re-arrange your fillings and handling prowess usually the preserve of the most tactile European sports cars was phenomenal, all while giving all the drama and theatre we have become to expect from nearly all Mustangs.

In summary, it is a mighty impressive continuation of Ford’s most coveted family of V8 performance cars. This horse has “well and truly bolted” and we are dead keen to catch it again on Canterbury roads soon.

FACT FILE
2024 Ford Mustang GT Fastback/GT Convertible/Dark Horse

Price: $92,990/$99,990/$114,990 (while stocks last)
Engine: 5.0L Coyote V8 Petrol
Transmission: 10-speed automatic/6-speed manual
Power: 362kW/362kW/373kW
Torque: 567Nm
Wheels: 19-inch alloy