Ford Mustang 2010
Casey Williams, www.car-data.com
Only an exclusive club of automotive brands has endured so honestly as Ford’s Mustang. Yearafter year, generation after generation, the original pony car excites drivers with exhilaratingperformance and beautiful bodies. After tearing up roads for 45 years, grandchildren of earlybuyers are now enjoying their own Mustangs. This tradition takes a turn for the best in 2010 asFord recently introduced the next-generation Mustang at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas, ‘More than 9 million customers have madeMustang one of the world’s most beloved automotive and cultural icons. Making sure this modernlegend lives up to their expectations has been a driving force for the team, which went to greatlengths ‘ gathering customer input everywhere from race tracks to Main Streets in cities throughoutthe U.S. ‘ working to create the best Mustang ever.’
Design is a blend of the current model, classics, and the Italian Giugiaro show car from acouple of years ago. The front is more aggressively refined, with the first new Mustang emblemsince the original in ’64; V6 and GT models have differentiated front ends. Headlamps and turnsignals are combined into one unit, inspired by the ’70 Mustang. Fog lamps on V6 models are in thebumper, but remain in the grille on GTs. Side profiles are sleeker and correct for the next decade.Faceted taillamps include back-up lights, ‘sequence firing’ LED turn indicators, and give theimpression of the traditional three-barrel design. All of the sheetmetal, except for the roofline,is new.
In describing the new Mustang’s new forms, Ford group vice president of Design, J Mays, stated,’The best Mustangs have always been the ones that connect young America with the spirit of thetimes ‘ and the 2010 does exactly that. The new Mustang is close to the magnetic center of theoriginal, fully loaded with the swagger you’d expect, but with modern refinement and attention todetail like you’ve never seen in a muscle car.’
Correcting a gripe of the current model, the interior was upgraded with fresh design and higherquality materials. The dashboard and center console are a coherent whole and flow together better.Seats, armrests, and dashboard are upholstered in softer materials; large analog gauges, twin cowldash design, and sporty three-spoke steering wheel remain as a testament to the Mustang’s heritage.Dash and ambient lighting can be changed through a spectrum of 125 colors while Microsoft Sync isnow available to give Mustang drivers access to voice-activated calling, navigation, satelliteradio, and real time weather forecasts. Early designers never dreamed of the technology found inthe new car’s interior.
Swagger must be backed up with performance ‘ the Mustang will deliver a powerful whomp from baseV6 and V8 engines. By spreading experience from the popular Bullitt edition, the GT’s 4.6-litre V8will increase output to 315 horsepower ‘ connected to the road through a refined suspension system.Engineers still haven’t coughed up a world-class independent rear suspension, but they have doneeverything possible to control its behavior. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, traction control,and electronic stability control are standard to keep all of the horses running in the rightdirection.
In the early 1960s, Lee Iacocca and his team at Ford had a simple idea: Take a basic economy carplatform, refine its suspension, stuff in an energetic powertrain, drape a beautiful body over it,and sell it to youthful drivers who appreciate fun and sun. It’s worked pretty well for 45 years.The next chapter begins when the 2010 Mustang begins rolling out of its Flat Rock, MI assemblyplant early next year.
