Heritage on wheels. That’s my take on the Ford Mustang. You cannot escape the evidential truth that Ford’s pony car has a great deal of history behind it, while it adroitly advances that legacy with each new model built.
A Once-Threatened Species
More than a half century has passed since the original Mustang took to the road, but not without a little drama through the intervening years. Indeed, the Mustang’s existence was threatened at least twice over that span, beginning with new federal emissions standards curtailing its potency in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, the threat came from within as Ford executives seriously considered replacing the rear-wheel drive Mustang with a front-wheel drive and Japanese-built Probe. Happily, that desecration …show more content…
The Mustang’s reputation precedes it, therefore no special wheel composition is required.
Toggle-Controlled Driving Modes
One feature that stands out and is entirely appropriate for the Mustang is a row of jet-like toggle switches near the base of the center stack and in front of the shifter. The first switch activates the emergency lights, the second switch is for traction control, the third switch heats the steering wheel, and the fourth switch controls the drive mode.
Four drive modes are offered — comfort, snow/mud, sport, and track. I had the steed in sport mode almost constantly — track mode automatically disengages traction control and also activates launch control. Notably, the advanced modes also stiffen steering and increase throttle input, elevating this model’s performance characteristics to its optimum settings.
The Mustang GT is all about upholding the traditional American V-8 engine and doing so without forced induction. While a supercharged version along the lines of the Challenger Hellcat would be fantastic, Ford provides that option only through Hennessey Performance and then limited that number to just 500 units for the 2015 model year. Aim for scarcity and you’ll never sully the Mustang
A Once-Threatened Species
More than a half century has passed since the original Mustang took to the road, but not without a little drama through the intervening years. Indeed, the Mustang’s existence was threatened at least twice over that span, beginning with new federal emissions standards curtailing its potency in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, the threat came from within as Ford executives seriously considered replacing the rear-wheel drive Mustang with a front-wheel drive and Japanese-built Probe. Happily, that desecration …show more content…
The Mustang’s reputation precedes it, therefore no special wheel composition is required.
Toggle-Controlled Driving Modes
One feature that stands out and is entirely appropriate for the Mustang is a row of jet-like toggle switches near the base of the center stack and in front of the shifter. The first switch activates the emergency lights, the second switch is for traction control, the third switch heats the steering wheel, and the fourth switch controls the drive mode.
Four drive modes are offered — comfort, snow/mud, sport, and track. I had the steed in sport mode almost constantly — track mode automatically disengages traction control and also activates launch control. Notably, the advanced modes also stiffen steering and increase throttle input, elevating this model’s performance characteristics to its optimum settings.
The Mustang GT is all about upholding the traditional American V-8 engine and doing so without forced induction. While a supercharged version along the lines of the Challenger Hellcat would be fantastic, Ford provides that option only through Hennessey Performance and then limited that number to just 500 units for the 2015 model year. Aim for scarcity and you’ll never sully the Mustang