2013 Mustang Getting Driver Info Center With Track Apps!

by Patrick Rall

Mustang Forums
Ford has used their 4.2″ LCD screen mounted in the driver’s information center in a variety of vehicles–including the 2011 Ford F150 Raptor–and thanks to some online spyshots, it looks like the 2013 Ford Mustang will get that same 4.2″ screen with special performance minded applications. While the Raptor features special gauges to show the direction of the front wheels and the angle of the truck in their “Truck Apps” screen, along with various gauge options in their Gauge Mode screen that shows items like transmission temperature.

The 2013 Mustang looks like it will get a gauge mode of its own, but it will be far more expansive than that seen in the current F150. Drivers of the 2013 Mustang will get to select from a variety of gauge options, either shown in basic list form that offers a handful of parameters at once or a close-up mode that shows a single measurement on a analog-looking gauge that takes up the entire 4.2″ screen. Options included in the 2013 Mustang gauge mode will include things like air to fuel ratio, boost/vacuum levels measuring up to 20psi (presumably only for the supercharged GT500 models), cylinder head temperature, inlet air temperature, oil Pressure, oil temperature, transmission fluid temperature and voltage output.

Next, the 2013 Mustang Track Apps includes a variety of fun gadgets including an accelerometer that shows the g-force of the current driving situation, an acceleration timer that allows the driver to measure their Mustang’s 0-60mph, 0-100mph, 1/8 mile time and ¼ mile times and a brake performance screen that measures that Mustangs braking ability from cruising speeds down to a full stop. The spyshots also show a portion of the acceleration timer which includes the drivers choice of automatic start or a countdown start and when the countdown is chosen, a drag strip style “Christmas tree” counts the driver down before he or she launches to test the acceleration of their Mustang. This system looks to be very similar to the timing system that the Chrysler Group has used on various performance models including the Dodge Challenger SRT8. We have had a chance to spend time behind the wheel of the Challenger with the timing system and while it mildly encourages on-road antics; this is a great tool to measure the real world improvements made by modifications.
 
We can expect that the expanded gauge mode and Track Apps for the 2013 Mustang will be standard on the Boss 302, Boss 302 Laguna Seca and Shelby GT500 models but rumors suggest that these handy gauges and gadgets will find their way onto standard Mustang and Mustang GT models – although we can probably expect an upcharge or for these to be a part of a package (perhaps the California Special package?). With the debut of the 2013 Ford Mustang rapidly approaching, we can expect to learn about these changes and many others over the next few months at the major auto shows in LA and Detroit introduce the world to the ever-improving Ford Mustang.

So what do you think? More techo crap or a genuinely cool feature? Head over to the Forum and sound off!