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Mustang improves on those things that have appealed to so many different kinds of drivers for more than 40 years, and it nearly eliminates the bad traits of traditional pony cars. In general, the good has gotten better and the bad, less so.
The previous-generation (1994-2004) Mustang was built around a body shell that dated from 1979, and it was about as stiff as wet rope. Ford claims the current Mustang's body/frame is 31 percent stiffer and it feels it. This Mustang is much more rigid and rattle-free than its predecessor. A rigid foundation provides the basis for a host of good things, including improved ride quality, sharper handling, and less interior vibration.
This solidity applies to the convertible as well. By their nature, convertibles don't offer the chassis rigidity of hardtops. Cars that cost five times as much as the Mustang tend to get shakier when the fixed roof is removed to design a convertible version. In the Mustang convertible, you will notice some shimmy in the windshield frame that you'll never see in the coupe, but overall rigidity is impressive.
The convertible's folding top is simple and straightforward to operate. Unhook it from the windshield header and it powers back behind the rear seat with the touch of a button. The ultimate in posing requires that you manually install the optional boot cover, but the folded, exposed top and frame don't look bad without it.
The wheelbase is relatively long, six inches longer than the previous generation (pre-2005), and that makes a difference in terms of ride quality. The ride is fairly smooth, even with the available 18-inch wheels. The rear suspension uses coil springs and a lightweight three-link design with a Panhard bar to keep all motion under constant control. It's about as good as a solid-axle suspension gets, and it does a good job of controlling skipping and bouncing at the back of the car. While many high-performance fans wish Ford would give the Mustang an independent rear suspension for better handling and ride quality, the current setup does a fine job on both counts.
The steering is crisp, precise and confidence inspiring.
The brakes work well in high-speed highway driving situations, as we found during a test in Los Angeles. If you order ABS, you automatically get traction control, which has a dash-mounted off switch for special situations, including drag racing.
The 4.0-liter V6 engine is a solid performer. The five-speed automatic's gear ratios seem well matched to the available torque. When the automatic gets into overdrive fifth gear, the engine goes quietly into economy mode until called upon for a lane change, a pass, or an uphill charge. This is a large-displacement V6 and it sounds more muscular at full throttle than any previous Ford V6 engine. It rates 16/24 city/highway mpg with the automatic transmission, and 17/26 mpg with the manual; those are the 2008 fuel economy estimates using the EPA's new, more realistic testing methods, resulting in numbers much lower than last year's even though no changes have been made to the vehicles.
Indeed, the V6 Deluxe is the most popular model (about 70 percent of Mustangs sold are V6s), and we like it. For just around $20,000, it delivers good torque, good acceleration and generally good road manners, with a sporty feel. And while it has less power than the V8 and smaller tires, the V6 seems slightly more eager to turn in for corners, a bit more agile than the nose-heavy GT. (The GT weighs about 200 pounds more, and almost all of that is on the front wheels.)
The GT, on the other hand, is a 300-hp, five-speed pavement-ripper for about $26,000. The three-valve-per-cylinder V8 engine features both variable camshaft timing and electronic throttle control. The Mustang GT will run 0-60 mph in about 5.5 seconds; it will out-brake a large number of sporty cars; and it handles better on canyon roads that any previous Mustang GT, with a minimum of body roll and a large portion of tire grip. Mustang GT gets an EPA-rated 15/22 mpg with the automatic, 15/23 mpg with the manual. Again, this is using the 2008 EPA estimates, which should be closer to your actual mileage.
The GT looks mean, and it drives mean, with 320 pound-feet of torque, a decent shifter and a brawny, loud exhaust note. It's everything a pony car is supposed to be, without the teeth-rattling stiffness of the muscle cars of another era. The Mustang GT also boasts one of the world's largest aftermarket speed-part networks for those who want even higher performance.
The Bullitt impressed us with both its performance and its overall balance. It feels like a lot of careful engineering went into it. While the California Special is an appearance package, the Bullitt is a seriously upgraded car. It's responsive, with a lovely torque curve supplying robust power, and it's easy to drive with nicely balanced handling. The Bullitt always seemed in tune with our intentions and it's our favorite of all the 2008 models.
The Shelby GT-H's 4.6-liter V8 is upgraded to 319 horsepower and 330 pound feet of torque thanks mostly to improved airflow through the air filter and exhaust. Most won't be able to notice the additional power, but performance enthusiasts will enjoy the manual transmission's short, positive shifter throws. Shelby GT suspensions are also tuned for slightly better handling. The most noticeable change versus a GT, however, is the convertible's additional hoop, which helps reduce some of the ragtop's cowl shake.
The Shelby GT500 kicks it up a notch. Its 5.4-liter V8 is derived from the same modular engine family as the smaller 4.6, but has an iron block for rigidity, and four-valve-per-cylinder aluminum heads topped by a total of four overhead camshafts. A Roots-type positive-displacement supercharger feeds air at 8.5 psi through an air-to-liquid intercooler and dual 60mm throttle bodies. The official output is 500 horsepower at 6000 rpm, and 480 pound-feet of torque at 4500. The torque is truly intoxicating and the engine has a nice burble at idle. The Tremec close-ratio six-speed manual is easy to shift and second and third are amazing gears with all this power.
The Shelby GT500 is easy to control and very predictable. Without any experience in the car, we were able to immediately carry long power-oversteerslides on a wet autocross circuit at Ford's Dearborn Development Center proving grounds, feeding in opposite lock. Use of the throttle and steering wheel allowed us to wag the tail back and forth through slaloms, quickly and accurately changing directions. Secure footing is provided by 255/45ZR18 high-performance tires in front and 285/40ZR18s in back, on wheels measuring 18 by 9.5 inches.
The Shelby GT500 coupe weighs a hefty 3920 pounds (364 pounds more than the GT), but Ford has provided it with 14-inch Brembo vented disc brakes up front squeezed by four-piston calipers. Rear brakes are the standard Mustang 11.8-inch vented discs. The brakes are responsive and easy to modulate in competition-type driving. next page