The 2015 Mustang GT Brings Back Memories
— by Mike Aguilar
Ford chose West Hollywood’s Mel’s Drive-In to allow some members of the automotive press a glimpse at the 2015 Mustang GT. Although the Mustang definitely belongs in the 21st Century, it’s still evocative of old-school muscle cars. This edition of the venerable pony car has been redesigned a bit, although it still retains the Mustang lines that are a blend of new and old.
High-Tech Fire-Breathing Muscle
Except for a performance hiatus during the late Seventies and early Eighties, the Mustang has always been a true muscle car. Ford’s engineers used technology to bring us a muscle car in every sense of the word, but a muscle car with refinement, one that’s equally at home blasting through the traps as it is escorting you to the theater.
I’ve owned a couple of Mustangs, and neither were truly enjoyable unless it was blasting down the freeways or expressways, with clear sailing in front. Traffic was a nightmare. The 2015 Mustang GT makes traffic, if not enjoyable, at least painless. The big open styling of the upper body gives clear fields of vision for the driver.
Ford’s engineers also endowed the Mustang with numerous safety features to aid the driver. These include impact mitigation with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning with cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and forward-collision warning as options to go on top of the Premium Package. All models get a rear-view camera standard.
Taming the Beast under the Hood without Removing Its Teeth
Whether you’re driving the 2015 GT in traffic or on the highway, you’re always aware that there’s a loosely-chained beast under the hood waiting to be unleashed. That beast is the five-liter V8 that puts out 435 horsepower, matched with a six-speed manual transmission. Before unleashing this engine on an unsuspecting public, though, Ford sent it to behavioral modification school. At low RPM, the engine is a sweet and gentle kitten.
The Getrag gearbox and smooth take-up in the clutch combine to make even novices to manual transmissions look like a pro. The transmission is also equipped with a hill-assist feature that keeps you from rolling back when on a hill. Even with all this refinement, when you crack the throttle open, the beast is unleashed and all 435 horses start galloping.
The New Suspension Smooths Out any Road
As performance enthusiasts, we like road-feel or feedback through the seat of our pants and through the steering wheel. The Mustang’s new multi-link independent rear suspension smooths out almost every unevenly matched seam in the road, while still giving you as positive feel for the road. The trademark springiness and skittishness are gone now. Overall control feel is excellent.
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via [Automobile Magazine]