FORD’S FABLED STALLION AND THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL MUSCLE CAR OF ALL TIME FLEXES AN ALL NEW ‘DO

BY AMANDA McCOY

Certain threads will be forever woven into the tapestry of Americana: grill-fired hotdogs on the 4th of July, bright yellow school buses cruising down leafy cul-de-sacs, expressions of gratitude on the third Thursday in November. But in autodom, few emblems capture American car culture quite like the wild Pony, the sprinting stallion of the Ford Mustang, born in 1964 and the world’s top-selling muscle car to date. Henry Ford II unveiled the ‘Stang at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. Available in coupe, fastback, and convertible expressions with a trio of engine choices (the high-performance variant boasting a then-thundering 271 horsepower was added a few months later), the beefy rider dazzled enthusiast circles and took the American auto realm by storm, selling more than 500,000 units in the first year alone. Half a century later, it remains one of the most recognizable silhouettes on the road, but a recent full overhaul prepped the wild horse for the next 50 years.

Unveiled in its hometown at last year’s Detroit Auto Show, Ford went all in on the 2024 Mustang, doubling down even in the age of the SUV. CEO Jim Farley stated, “Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles.” The seventh gen rider flaunts aggressive new styling, though superfans will appreciate Ford didn’t stray too far from the familiar. A pair of improved powertrains dials up the muscle. Pilots can choose between a turbocharged 2.3L EcoBoost that’s easier on the wallet, or charge full speed ahead with the hungry 5.0L V-8 in the GT, garnering 480 ponies over last model’s 450. For the track starved, a performance-packed Dark Horse joins the pack this year, toting a modified Coyote V-8, which squeezes out an additional 20 horsepower along with 418 lb.-ft. of torque. A ten-speed automatic transmission is standard on most models, but fear not, enthusiasts: a six-speed manual is also on the table for thrills aplenty (the Dark Horse exclusively uses a clutch with rev matching for a rapacious growl). The Mustang is trotting into dealerships this summer, with a starting MSRP of $32,515.

AVAILABLE LUXURIES INCLUDE

A heated flat-bottom steering wheel, velvety Bang & Olufsen sound system with 12 speakers, and Ford’s Co-Pilot360 Assist package, offering a suite of active goodies like Adaptive Speed Control, Lane-Keeping System, Speed Sign Recognition, and Voice-Activated Touchscreen Navigation for effort-less thrill-hunting adventures.

A sliced-top variant has been a Mustang staple since its birth, and that isn’t changing. The convertible is avail-able in two grades: an EcoBoost Premium, and the road-ravaging GT Premium, both featuring a fully lined cloth top that retracts for cruising in the summer breeze.

Every model in the Mustang lineup boasts its own unique front end. The GT is differ-entiated from EcoBoost models by larger, more aggressive grille openings, engineered to reflect the increase in power and performance by allow-ing more airflow. The car’s aerodynamics are optimized further with the addition of new hood vents and a redesigned front splitter.

CHANNEL YOUR INNER VAUGHN GITTIN JR., as the new model debuts a segment-first electronic drift brake, which unlocks the rear-wheel-drive Mustang’s drifting potential through a genuine mechanical hand brake, avail-able with the Performance Package on all models.

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