Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 GT
by Tony Yates
As far as I can tell – everyone loves a Mustang. The reason
for this is plain and simple – just look at it! You will soon
begin to understand why. It is simply a work of art – a
work of such brilliance that when it first arrived on my
drive, I just sat there and stared at it for about an hour. I’m
not joking either I really did just sit there and stare.
Ok, I know what some of you are thinking – a big fat muscle car that is
draining the earth of all its fossil fuels is about as useful as a watch with no
hands – but you’d be wrong – because what the Mustang does do is excite
every fibre of your nervous system and then if that’s not enough – it will
then swing into full attack mode on your internal organs and deliver one
of the most thrilling drives you might ever undertake.
Of course you may consider yourself to be a very boring person and that
a car like this would be the last thing that would excite you – but believe
me –when you get behind the wheel of a Mustang V8 it instantly turns
you into one of those little excited puppies that wets itself - and you will
do this every time you press the loud pedal or maybe, you will just end up
dribbling out of the side of your mouth because you just realised that you
have just engaged yourself in what can only be described as ‘DEFCON 1’.
Here’s the thing – driving around in a Mustang is no different really than
driving around in a Fiat Punto – and here’s why. For instance - you can
take your children to school in it - the boot is more than big enough to do
the weekly shop – and it will carry four adults in perfect comfort (just).
So, just because it has a very powerful V8 engine – does not automatically
mean that you have to drive it everywhere with your hair on fire - there is
of course another reason why owning a Mustang is such an epic tale of joy
and happiness. Wherever I went in the Mustang people were just looking
and smiling – it was I have to say bizarre.
I parked up at my local supermarket to by a copy of The Daily Mail
(joking) - when two random guys in their 40s just came over and started
talking to me about it - half an hour had passed and I was still there just
chatting away to a couple of guys who I had never met before in my life.
Then there were the traffic light conversations, I’m not kidding. I have
never in all the years of being a motoring journalist driven a car that has
attracted so much attention from pretty much everyone who came across
it. I’d instantly become one of the coolest people on the planet.
Power and Efficiency:
Powered by a 5.0-litre V8 quad cam 32 valve engine with induction
sound tube. Max power comes in at 421PS with the addition of 530Nm of
torque. Max speed is around 155mph and a 0-62 time of around 4 seconds
(estimated).
90 wirrallife.com
The sound from that V8 is intoxicating and it never gets boring.
I am sure you all want to know what the MPG is so for all you eco warriors
– please turn away now. You can at a push return a combined 23.5mpg –
not bad then when you consider the size of the engine. Also, I own a little
Fiat 500 Abarth and on a good day that will only return 32.4. – So, when
you weigh all that up is 23.5mpg really that bad?
On the road:
A joy to drive no matter where you are going or on what road surface you
are driving it on - also, as the Mustang is rear wheel drive you do need to
remember that its very easy to spin up the rear wheels due to the massive
amount of torque coming from that V8 engine.
Into the corners it felt planted and not heavy or cumbersome at all. If
you feed in the power at the right time into the right corner then you will
be rewarded with a massive amount of traction and speed in and out of
every corner. Again, overtaking in a Mustang really is its party piece –
because there is little effort needed from that big V8 to propel you past
pretty much anything that takes your fancy.
Design & Technology:
The look says it all really – owning a Mustang for me is about as exciting
as it gets because it’s all about presence on the road and as I said earlier
– that is something you just can’t ignore. Remember Mustang is an icon
of such brilliance right back from when V8’s were first produced and
even in today’s eco friendly society the Mustang is still very much the
star performer - the real deal. Just looking at the design of those Xenon
headlights and those sharp bodylines makes most people go weak at the
knees and in need of a lie down. Inside you will find an 8” touchscreen
with a 9-speaker DAB radio, auto headlamps, and rain sensing wipers.
Along with Dual Zone Electronic Temperature Control, 6-way power
front seats, ESP, Brembo 6-piston front callipers, selectable driving modes;
Snow/wet; Normal; Sport and Track. You will also find additions such as;
Ford My Key, Isofix rear seats, Ford Key Free System and a whole host of
extras that are a real pleasure.
Safety:
Advanced Trac Electronic Stability Control, TPMS, Hill Start Assist, EBA,
driver and front passenger airbags including front, side (pelvic & thorax)
and drivers knee airbag.
To sum up: The Mustang is an epic car and I am now a lost soul who is in
need of some additional therapy - so I will be saving every penny I can because I want to continue to be that person that makes everybody who
comes into contact with the Mustang - turn and give me a great big ‘smile’
Price: (from) £35,995 (standard vehicle) – not including fitted options.