Tooling alongside the canyon roads of Southern California’s Angeles Crest Nationwide Forest within the 2024 Ford Mustang GT, I’ve a mission: Expertise the various toys the brand new Mustang affords in each the coupe and the convertible. That’s a reasonably tall order as Ford throws all the pieces the fanatic driver would possibly need at its seventh-generation pony automobile, in addition to a wholesome serving to of tech, and all of it improves upon an already nice sports activities automobile.

That toybox contains efficiency gear and tech options, and most of the latter are enabled by the previous. A lot of it’s run by means of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.4-inch touchscreen which might be each powered by the Sync 4 infotainment system and the Unreal Engine that backs many video games. For extra on the screens, which add a number of tech to the brand new Mustang, take a look at this breakdown.

This GT is provided the best way I’d order my automobile: handbook transmission, Efficiency Package deal, magnetic dampers, and energetic exhaust system.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

2024 Ford Mustang GT

2024 Ford Mustang GT

2024 Ford Mustang: Nonetheless a 5.0, however with extra energy

The usual efficiency components begin beneath the hood, the place there rumbles a superb ol’ American V-8. It’s the fourth-generation Coyote 5.0-liter V-8 that’s outfitted with a brand new twin air consumption to feed twin digital throttle our bodies. In normal kind, it makes 480 hp, up from 450, and 415 lb-ft of torque, up from 410. Add the elective energetic exhaust system and output rises barely to 486 hp and 418 lb-ft. The exhaust prices $1,225, but it surely’s price each penny only for the look of the quad exhaust ideas.

It sounds fairly nice, too, as have Ford V-8s because the Sixties. Drivers can regulate the sound by means of 4 ranges, beginning at subdued and ramping as much as a Monitor setting that Ford recommends solely be used at a racetrack as a result of excessive decibels it may well belt out. Driving alone on a canyon street, Monitor affords an acceptable soundtrack. When driving with anybody within the automobile, Monitor and Sport can drown out dialog. That’s a superb factor or a foul factor, relying on who’s within the automobile with you.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

The sound may be skilled from outdoors the automobile as properly, however solely in automobiles with the 10-speed automated. It’s referred to as Distant Rev and it’s the brand new toy Ford has added so homeowners can showcase for the neighbors or at Automobiles & Espresso occasions. To activate it, distant begin the automobile by hitting the important thing fob’s lock button adopted by the beginning button twice. As soon as began, hit the lock then the unlock button and the automobile will challenge a low rev. Do it once more, it is going to rev larger to the delight of onlooking gearheads. It’s an grownup remote-control model of the vroom-vroom sounds all of us made when enjoying with Scorching Wheels.

Energy supply feels very similar to it did within the outgoing automobile. The V-8 launches arduous off the road, revs willingly as much as 7,500 rpm, and scoots the Mustang GT from 0-60 mph within the low-to-mid four-second vary.

Reaching these 0-60 mph instances with the out there 10-speed automated transmission ought to be a chunk of cake, but it surely’s not really easy with the handbook.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

I pull into one of many many turnouts on a abandoned stretch of street to check out one other toy, launch management. To activate the function, I hit the MyMustang button under the middle display screen then select Monitor Apps. There I can set the automobile to launch anyplace from 2,500-7,000 rpm. Somebody has set it at 4,900 rpm, in order that’s what I attempt first. I additionally use Monitor Apps to measure the 0-60 mph time. When the system says it’s prepared, I put one foot on the clutch and the opposite on the throttle, then dump the clutch. The engine bogs because the tires grip too arduous, and my 0-60 mph time is available in at a disappointing 5.8 seconds. I attempt once more at 5,500 rpm, and this time tire spin slows the time to six.1 seconds. Not prepared to press my luck, I determine that’s sufficient. It seems the revs had been possible set too excessive each instances, as a Ford engineer later says 3,500 rpm is healthier for an unprepped floor like the road.

Whereas I’m on the giant turnout, I determine it’s time to attempt one other toy, the road lock, which is principally a burnout enabler. It’s additionally activated by means of Monitor Apps and requires a foot on the brake and one other on the clutch. I’ve to then maintain the OK button on the appropriate facet of the steering wheel and make sure I need the road lock with one other press of OK. From there, a clock ticks down from 15 seconds, throughout which era the entrance brakes maintain and the rear tires can spin to their tread’s content material. Once more, I dump the clutch and a cloud of smoke instantly engulfs the Mustang. It’s an overt signal that I’m as much as no good, so I let off after perhaps 5 – 6 seconds and look forward to the countdown to complete. I can’t think about how typically you’d have to purchase tires when you went the entire 15 seconds on a semi-regular foundation.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

The 6-speed handbook transmission has a pair of efficiency goodies of its personal, particularly downshift rev matching and a shift gentle. Each are managed by means of Monitor Apps, and the shift gentle may be set anyplace from 4,000-7,200 rpm. The engine can wind all the best way to 7,500 rpm, so why not set the shift gentle on the high finish? The shift indicator seems to be completely different in numerous modes, presenting as a blue line on a purple graph in Monitor mode and a bar that comes collectively within the center with the instrument cluster in its Fox Physique ’87-’93 theme. It’s useful in any case.

The handbook feels prefer it did within the sixth-generation S550 Mustang. It has a agency however not overly heavy clutch pedal and a brief shifter with constructive engagement. It’s a pleasure to drive and it makes me really feel extra in tune with the automobile than any automated can. I don’t get the possibility to attempt the 10-speed automated within the GT, however Ford says it’s recalibrated to deal with the extra energy and to carry gears longer in Sport mode. I did attempt it within the turbo-4 Mustang EcoBoost mannequin, the place it carried out properly to maintain that automobile’s 315 hp on faucet.

The one tech-based efficiency function I don’t attempt within the GT is the brand new Drift Brake. It’s an digital parking brake that adjustments its strain based mostly on how arduous the motive force pulls the L-shaped parking brake deal with that rises from the middle console to entice the motive force. It really works as marketed, as I realized on a closed course throughout my drive of the brand new Mustang EcoBoost.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

2024 Ford Mustang GT

2024 Ford Mustang GT

2024 Ford Mustang: Efficiency Package deal is the best way to go

For individuals who need their Mustangs to deal with in addition to they speed up, the $4,995 Efficiency Package deal provides all the appropriate goodies: wider 19×9 entrance and 19×9.5 rear gray-painted aluminum wheels that mount 255/40 and 275/40 Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires, heavy-duty entrance springs, a chassis Okay-brace, a strut-tower brace, a rear wing spoiler, a Torsen limited-slip rear differential with a 3.73 axle ratio, sport suspension tuning with a bigger rear sway bar (33.3 mm vs 32 mm), and bigger brakes. The brakes encompass 15.4-inch vented entrance discs with Brembo 6-piston calipers and 14.0-inch vented rear discs with 4-piston calipers; these calipers can be found in blue, purple, silver, or black. The bundle additionally provides the Drift Brake, a entrance tow hook, and a black-painted entrance grille.

The Efficiency Pack’s hi-po components and the magnetic dampers had been made for roads like these, however then once more we already knew that from the last-generation automobile. The brand new S650 Mustang retains the identical rear-drive platform because the outgoing S550 mannequin with principally the identical suspension tuning. The one actual variations are a stiffer steering column with a barely faster 15.5:1 ratio versus the outgoing 16.0:1 ratio, a shorter arm rear integral hyperlink from the GT500 to suit the Drift Brake, up to date tuning for the magnetic dampers, and new tires. The P Zero PZ4 is a comparatively new tire, and a Ford rep tells me it’s akin to the well-regarded Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

It’s all very properly tuned to slay these mountain roads. The $1,750 magnetic dampers do an excellent job of balancing sportiness and trip high quality. A Ford rep says they’re technology 3.5 they usually’re tuned to be simply as sporty as earlier than however supply extra consolation whereas cruising. They’re a should to make a sport-tuned Mustang livable every day. They group with the springs and stiffer anti-roll bars to restrict physique lean and provides the GT fast reactions to steering inputs.

I welcome the marginally faster steering ratio, however can’t say I can detect a distinction versus the final automobile. Nevertheless, I do sense extra steering suggestions because the automobile flows from nook to nook, and I favor the GT’s steering heft, which the EcoBoost lacks. Nonetheless, I maintain the heaviest of the three out there settings for essentially the most stability.

2024 Ford Mustang GT

The Torsen limited-slip differential apportions the facility properly for acceleration out of turns with out making the GT oversteer. Whereas an excessively heavy throttle foot and/or the Drift Brake can kick out the rear finish, the default dealing with is impartial and steady, similar to the final automobile.

The 2024 Ford Mustang GT begins at $47,015 with our really useful Premium trim. Versus the bottom GT, it provides 19-inch wheels, aluminum pedals, a heated steering wheel, a common storage door opener, extra soft-touch inside trim, ambient lighting, a nine-speaker audio system (as a substitute of six), wi-fi smartphone charging, a satellite tv for pc radio trial, power-adjustable entrance seats, and heated and cooled entrance seats. Add the $7,970 efficiency choices fanatics will need, plus the $1,595 vacation spot price, and the overall is $56,580.

That’s a wholesome chunk of change, but it surely buys drivers not solely a sports activities automobile but additionally a toybox of goodies. Know-how could also be pushing automobiles into the electrical period, however within the new Mustang, it’s getting used so as to add to the sports activities automobile expertise.

Ford paid for journey and lodging for Motor Authority to convey you this firsthand report.