Part 6 in our 50 years of Mustang series: 2015 Ford Mustang GT
50 years of the Ford Mustang: 1964 – 2014
Part 6: 2015 Mustang GT
The future – the pony gallops on!
Despite the ups and downs experienced through its life, the future for Mustang lovers has probably never looked brighter. An all-new ’Stang for 2015 and beyond was revealed locally late in 2013 and seen at motor shows around the world by the start of 2014. The best news is that the new Mustang will feature lots of technology to improve the experience and make it safer, but at the same time will retain all those gorgeous styling cues that take us back down Memory Lane.
Due to arrive in Australia next year, there’ll be a coupe and convertible, with the former featuring a fully automated, one-button procedure for raising or lowering the roof.
Meanwhile, Ford’s engineers have also developed a range of powerplants. Unlike the old days, however, where the only choice was how big you wanted your V8, this time around there’s a V6 entry-level model, which we won’t get, and a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo (Ecoboost) model with up to 227kW that we will see.
While a four-banger Mustang might lack brochure appeal, consider that in the current FG Falcon, the Ecoboost version has plenty of performance, great fuel economy and the sharpest steering of the whole Falcon range.
But the headline act will still be the V8, in this case a 5.0-litre version of the Miami architecture that is rumoured to output 313kW.
Transmission choices consist of a six-speed auto or a manual with the same number of forward ratios, and the Mustang stays true to its roots by being rear-wheel drive.
The big hardware update has been to the suspension. A new front-end design will sharpen things up, while out back the old live axle has finally been replaced by an all-new independent set-up that will not only give the ’Stang a more modern feel, it should improve everything from grip to ride quality.
And this time around Ford is pinning its global hopes on the Mustang brand, so the car will now be made in both left and right-hand drive.
While IRS will be a novelty for a Mustang, so too will the car’s sudden appeal to the tech-heads. Previously known for its small brain and big heart, the new Mustang aims higher on the tech ladder.
For a start, there’s a four-mode stability control system that includes what amounts to an electronic line-lock function for the performance of burnouts. Ford Oz hasn’t said whether our cars will have this function, but since it would only be of use at a dragstrip (officer), who knows which way the blue oval will jump.
There are also Sport and Track modes that also control things like the steering response and throttle sensitivity, and V8 versions have standard launch control (another dragstrip-only feature).
The comfort and convenience list is impressive, too, with on-board tyre-pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, keyless entry and start, a reversing camera, parking sensors, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers.
Probably the biggest question surrounding the new Mustang is whether it can match its main rivals blow for blow. Just as the original Mustang spawned a raft of imitators from the other big North American brands, now it will go head-to-head with hardcore 21st-century retro-monsters including the reborn Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger. Either way, you get the feeling the Pony Express might just be the winner.
SPECIFICATIONS
2015 Ford Mustang GT
Production: 2015 –
Body: Unitary
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 313kW @ 6500rpm
Torque: 529Nm @ 4250rpm
0-100km/h: 4.6sec (est.)
400m: Not available
Gearbox: 6-man/6-auto
Suspension: MacPherson struts, lower arms (f)/Independent, coils (r)
Brakes: Disc/disc
Photography: Nathan Jacobs/Cristian Brunelli