Ford Mustang - Sixth Generation

2015 Ford Mustang

For over 50 years, the Ford Mustang has been the poster boy of the American muscle car craze and even if it's facing stiff competition from Chevy and Dodge from past and present, the Ford Mustang is still on top as the king of American muscle cars and now, the iconic muscle car has been given its much awaited regeneration so let's fire up this new generation Mustang and find out how it's made.

The first thing I want to know about the new Mustang is the design and at first glance, judging the way that Ford still keeps using its Aston Martin-esque grille in most models like the Fusion, the Fiesta, and the Focus, I'm starting to think this is more of an Aston copy rather than carrying the tradition but I was wrong. This car still keeps the classic look alive and with some modern-day touches in it, it looks like it spent the whole day eating Century Tuna for breakfast, lunch, tea, even elevensies. Now that's hot stuff.

2015 Ford Mustang interior

Aside from having the body of a Superbods model, the interior is brand new and look at those silver-colored flickers below the climate control, it's just like the ones I found on the legendary Ford GT supercar and judging from its muscle car atmosphere, the inside is all about being retro-futuristic, although the sat-nav system is a bit of a letdown for me because most Ford sat-navs with the SYNC on it is worthless. Sigh. But that doesn't stop me from like the new interior.

2015 Ford Mustang

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

Prices start from $23,600 to $41,600 and there are two body styles available on the brand new Mustang such as the hardtop coupe for a more traditional feel and the open-top convertible if you want to go on an open-air spree on the open road. Whichever Mustang you choose, you can be opted for one of three available engines such as the brand new 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder turbo engine, a 3.7 V6 engine, and the top-spec 5.0L V8 engine for the flagship GT model.

While a turbocharged engine maybe a sacrilege for Mustang purists but this is the first ever turbocharged engine since the Mustang SVO of 1985, Ford says that this brand new 2.3L EcoBoost engine develops more power than the V6 variant and it has best-in-class fuel economy of 25 combined MPG. It produces 310HP of power and 320lb-ft of torque when it comes to performance figures. That sounds great but there is one major problem about the Mustang EcoBoost and that's the noise because it has revealed that it uses a system that triggers a synthesised version of the exhaust note through the stereo.

That sounds cheating but there's a bigger problem about this system; this synthesised version of the exhaust note will be gone if the factory-equipped audio has been removed so there's a word of warning though that if you're planning to replace its radio, you're going to lose its fakey exhaust note so exercise extreme caution. So, who would want that kind of Mustang that you can't replace its factory-equipped radio? My best bet would be nobody because speedo boys don't like that kind of thing much like what happened to the latest BMW M cars when they have turbo engines at the cost of exhaust notes.

It seems odd that why there are some modern-day turbocharged production cars doesn't want to sound like a speedo boy's Honda because there's one thing: NO CAR SHOULD EVER SOUND LIKE RICE. That's the reason. They'll do it on their own and that sounds a lot harsh than your Auntie visiting your home and telling your grandparents some bad news.

Anyway, I'm not mind getting one and my choice is the flagship GT version. The 5.0L V8 engine Mustang fans love has been given more power so now, it produces 435HP of power and 400lb-ft of torque. Such added power is done by its bigger intake and exhaust valves and new camshafts with increased lift. Fuel economy maybe a 19MPG combined but meh. This is the one to have if you're a Mustang aficionado and for the hell of it, that noise takes me back.

For the first time in Mustang history, Ford has finally freed from their fear of adding sophisticated suspension to the iconic pony car and now, this Mustang comes with the first ever fully-independent rear suspension and new double-ball-joint front suspension. While Ford says it has less body roll and improved pitch control during hard acceleration and hard braking, driving the Ford Mustang is like memorizing a tongue twister. If the tongue twister gets more slippery, the Ford Mustang shows off its dynamic side and even with the added sophistication that you get from its European foes, it still feels more Americanized and if you get twisty, it's difficult to go back to its normal state unless you're a skilled driver.

No matter which engine I'm choosing as well as the body style, I strongly believe that this new Mustang is now ready to take on the world, be it in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or in the Americas. Yes. This car is now ready for its world stage and looks like it will have a cult following in countries that doesn't know the Mustang story yet. It's great for rookies and experts alike and if you want to be part of the Mustang community, there's no better opportunity to do it. Praise the driving gods because this pony car's going global!

Photo: Ford Motor Company