2015 Ford Mustang
Pictures, video and all the details of the rebirth of the iconic muscle car from Ford
By Shahzad Sheikh
Updated: now with startup video! Listen to that 5.0 burble…
Here it is. The one you’ve all been waiting for. The one I’ve been waiting for. And it’s a little perplexing. The rear and the side profile is definitely working for me the more I look at it, but the front is taking some getting used to – it’s the biggest departure from the current generation car.
Perhaps it’s because it’s not SUPPOSED to appeal to me. Ford are very clear about the fact that whilst the previous Mustang cashed on the nostalgia of the baby-boomers, this new car is aimed at younger buyers – the next generation of sports car owners. Then again, perhaps it’s a grower. I’m already liking it more since I first saw the leaked images.
Notice I didn’t say ‘American sports car’ that’s because this is meant to be a truly global product for the first time in the Mustang’s history. Another reason for the still aggressive, but starkly sleeker front end. Also the reason it gets a new 2.3-litre four-cylinder Ecoboost engine. Don’t worry though, the excellent 5.0 V8 remains and there will also be a 3.7-litre V6.
Mustang has sold over nine million cars in its 50 years of production, and there’s a lot riding on this all-new edition. Ford is already claiming it to be better handling and riding than the previous car, and of course it does come with independent rear suspension now.
So what else does the press release tell us?
It’s a lower, wider stance with a reduction in roof height, but with wider rear fenders and overall track. The fastback rear is more steeply sloped than before, it retains tri-bar taillamps with sequential signals, but now they’re sort of three-dimensional. Mainly of course the headlights have been moved out of the trapezoidal Aston-like grille, into the front sides, sweeping backwards.
There is a convertible too and it will have a multilayer insulated canvas top. It also lowers twice as quickly as before.
Obviously the interior has been completely redone, but like the exterior, is still quite familiar, though it certainly looks a bit more upmarket and better quality than the current car. There’s said to be more room inside too thanks to the slightly increased width.
The V6 and V8 have both been tuned up a bit and you now get 420bhp (about 10 more) and 390lb ft of torque from the 5.0, although economy is said to have improved too thanks to more efficient air intakes.
The Ecoboost engine utilises direct injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging to produce 305bhp and 300lb ft of torque, effectively exceeding the V6 engine’s 300bhp and 270lb ft of torque – which is a bit odd. Thankfully it will still be available with a manual transmission as well as an auto with paddleshifts.
There’s all-new front and rear suspension systems, plus it is lighter and stiffer at the front with larger more powerful brakes. At the rear there is an all-new integral-link independent suspension system. Ford claims the goal was to exceed the dynamics of the Boss 302 Mustang with this new car. A new stability control system will help, and there’s standard launch control.
Naturally it’ll be fully loaded with all the latest Ford tech such as the SYNC system, plus the popular MyColor feature as well as Track Apps built in. The Shaker Pro audio system remains too. Drivers Aids including blind spot assist systems, cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.
Every 2015 Mustang will also come with a commemorative plaque on the dashboard celebrating the fact that 17 April, 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Mustang. We expect sales to start in the Spring of 2014.
Of course the key question that will remain for me, and I suspect for a lot of you, will be – what does it DRIVE like? I’m sure it will be good. But will it still FEEL like a ‘muscle car’?
Tell us what you think of the new Mustang below
