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| The new 'stang is light years removed from the one-trick pony cars of the 1980s. |
You want a tough Boerperd-Arab cross for these rides, lean and fit like a marathon runner. What you don’t want is a stallion full of oats and a willingness to bite down on the bit and run for the other side of the horizon.
I once had me one of those, a brute of a beast that only ran out of steam after galloping over two ploughed fields and jumping the fences that separated them. The new Mustang that Ford invited me to drive over the lovely passes between De Doorns and Montague in the Western Cape reminded me a lot of that stallion, but not for the obvious reason.
That stallion thought nothing of flying over furrows and the new Mustang similarly thought nothing of flying over the ruts left by trucks on the already bumpy R318. None of the many 1980s muscle cars I drove, could do this.
They were made to drag race between the lights, not made to go fast around corners. Taking corners on the fly is, however, where the Blue Oval now sets the benchmark among blue collar cars, be it in the Ford Raptor bakkie with its rally-ready shocks; or the Everest SUV with its Watts link on the rear axle, or even the firm little Figo, which handles curves with surprising aplomb.
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| If ever you get a chance to put foot a bit here, do so. |
The new Mustang continues this good work. Despite having old school cross-axis joints and anti-roll bars it is — praise be — nothing like the abysmal pony cars from the ’80s that were all show between lights, but no go around a corner. Those were one-trick ponies.
The new 2019 Mustang can do that between-the-lights trick — it even boasts a drag race setting. But it also has settings for slippery roads and “normal” driving.
Out in the wild, you want to select the Sport setting, which turns on the new Mustang’s love for lots of twisties.
Don't be a red mist eejit
But a word to the wise -- modern as its underpinnings are, the Mustang is still an old school car.Run out of talent, and the Mustang WILL run all over you, stomping and biting and kicking just like a real wild horse.
The compilation of red-mist eejits crashing their 'stangs below shows its better to know the limits of your talent, and then stay well away from the edge, even when on track.
For those who still think they can handle a Mustang, three models and two engines are available in the 2019 range, two of which are fitted with Ford’s proven 10-speed automatic transmission while the third — the Bullitt — comes only with a six-speed “stick shift”, as the Yanks call a manual box.
Now, most petrol heads want to change gears themselves, but really, you want that 10-speed auto in this pony. First, because only 50 individually numbered Bullitts were brought to South Africa and are all spoken for; and second, because Ford’s 10-speed auto is just so much better at juggling the cogs than your reactions will ever be.
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| Two of the 50 Bullits sold in SA rearing to go. |
This being a family newspaper, we shall not dwell on the speeds the Mustang can do (and did). Instead, let’s dwell on how the Mustang feels on a bumpy, twisty pass when one tries to keep the needle pointing to, say, four o’clock.
When you take the Mustang there, it does not hunker down like GT-R or F-Type.
Neither does it get all tail happy like a vintage "Porsh" 911 or Honda S2000.
Nor is it as nimble as Beemer Z4, a Nissan 350Z or "Tuujorah" 86.
Instead, it gives an old school ride that inspires you to alternately trust in the thrust or hammer on the brakes as you take each corner as fast as the open road allows.
Instead, it gives an old school ride that inspires you to alternately trust in the thrust or hammer on the brakes as you take each corner as fast as the open road allows.
Old school means the front feels progressively lighter as the speed climbs, but then the automated blips the engine makes as you gear down for the next apex remind that this is nostalgia with cutting edge tech.
Driven thus, the Mustang feels alive and you start to understand why this icon on wheels is still America’s best selling sportscar (note, not vehicle, that spot going to Ford’s F150 bakkie).
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| The 2.4 engine in the drop-top Mustang has all the power one needs. |
The more fuel-efficient 2,3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine makes 213 kW (down a bit on the 2016 model) and 441 Nm (up by 11 Nm) and bonus, it can drop its top on sunny days.
Despite a lower workrate in kilo-Watts, the revised engine delivers, thanks to an overboost function on the turbo that kicks in when you kick down, ditto on each up-shift. But without the cross-bracing of a solid roof, it is made for the slow cruise with the top down, both to see better and to better be seen.
Good Neighbour Mode
In both models, most Mustang owners will run out of road long before they run out of power, be they in the 5-litre V8 or the 2,4-litre. This is when the new Active Valve Performance Exhaust technology comes in. It allows you to adjust what Ford calls the “intensity of the Mustang’s exhaust note”, in other words, where you give your ears a treat.
But Ford also has a “Good Neighbour Mode” that can be programmed to limit the exhaust’s noise at set times to avoid disturbing the neighbours.
Although ... if your neighbours complain about the Barry White rumble from that 5,0-litre V8, you should really consider moving to a place with nicer people. For as Doreen Mashinini — general manager of marketing at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) — said, the passion for Mustang is stronger than ever, and few cars deliver such a combination of heritage, style and performance.
Anyone who cannot appreciate this combo is an automotive Philistine who should hand in their driver’s licence.
Anyone who cannot appreciate this combo is an automotive Philistine who should hand in their driver’s licence.
It is safer too
Ford has been criticised for stripping out the Euro spec safety features to make their cars more affordable for export markets. The new Mustang, however, comes fully imported from the rainy plains of Spain packed with all the safety trimmings, from pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection to adaptive cruise control and distance alert technologies. There is even lane keeping aid.
I doubt most muscle car riders will find use for this, but I made good use of some of it while sticking to speed limits on highways.
All class inside
Inside, the Mustang is now all class.
When the first model came out, I said it is like that partner every person should date at least once, gorgeous outside, raring to go and just a little cheap inside. (Read all about that bit of hooliganism here.)
The 2019 Mustang's interior now befits its price tag. The leather-trimmed front seats heat up or cool down and adjust six ways. The boot space will fit a couple's suitcases. The rear seats, however, is still designed just for midgets.
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| A pinch and drag touchscreen and voice control are standard. |
The dash can be programmed to display from piston head temperature to oil temperature.
Ford’s SYNC3 communications and entertainment system connects on the move with voice commands, or by the passenger using pinch and swipe gestures on the central eight-inch touch screen. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android AutoT. Embedded navigation is standard.
The buyers can choose from three metallic paint colours
— Kona Blue, Orange Fury and Velocity Blue. New 19-inch alloy wheels come in several finishes, depending on model, along with 19”x9” Lustre Nickel-painted Forged Aluminium versions that are available as an option.
All models have a four-year or 120 000 km warranty and a six-year or 90 000 km service plan with service intervals at 15 000 km. And compared to other cars in this price range, you know you are going to get the same treatment as the rep in the Ranger or the fleet manager in the Figo. This is the Blue Oval giving everyone the blue collar treatment.
All models have a four-year or 120 000 km warranty and a six-year or 90 000 km service plan with service intervals at 15 000 km. And compared to other cars in this price range, you know you are going to get the same treatment as the rep in the Ranger or the fleet manager in the Figo. This is the Blue Oval giving everyone the blue collar treatment.
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| The interior now matches the price tag. |
South African prices
(August 2019)
2.3 Fastback 10AT R768 000
2.3 Convertible 10AT R831 000
5.0 GT Fastback 10AT R915 800
5.0 GT Convertible 10AT R978 400
5.0 V8 Bullitt GT 6MT R995 400
(First published in Witness Wheels.)
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| A couple's luggage will fit in the rear of the boot with the top down. But they mustn't pack thick clothes for cold weather. |
(First published in Witness Wheels.)
