It's a great time for Mustang fans. New Mustangs, it seems, only come around every 10 years or so. And, as far as completely new Mustangs go, this might be the first time one has ever come along. Before you start writing nasty letters about the '6411/42, remember it was based on the Falcon. The Mustang II was based on the Pinto. The Fox car was based on the Fairmont. Even the SN-95 and New Edge cars still carried Fairmont DNA. When I suggested the current Mustang might have a little Lincoln LS in her, the engineers bristled. They said this car is the first Mustang built from a clean sheet of paper.
Even though I'm fairly sure a drawing of the Lincoln might have been underneath that sheet of paper on a light table, I'll give the engineers the benefit of the doubt, as the Mustang has little in common with its upscale cousin. Besides, it's great to know the team behind this car is enthusiastic about its creation. In fact, many of the engineers are Mustang fans and owners. Several have more Mustangs at home than they do offspring. With that in mind, you can imagine these guys took the challenge of creating an all-new Mustang with true enthusiasm. The opportunity for an engineer to fix all those little things that have gone nagging since 1979 is tantamount to we less-technical types taking a Ford GT to our high school reunions. Irresistible.
So, with such mission enthusiasm in mind, was the team at Ford able to make our beloved Mustang better? In short, yes. Much better, but different. The first thing you notice is obviously the car's new-old styling. This car still seems to carry the modern New Edge fender flares, but the front end recalls the '67 Mustang, while the Shelby-style quarter-windows and tri-bar taillights tie the whole package together. Love it or hate it, the new-old styling positively screams Mustang. In fact, the car doesn't say Mustang anywhere on its exterior. It doesn't need to. If you don't know it's a Mustang, you aren't paying attention.
It's the bold styling that's likely to woo old-school Mustang Melvins and new-school import refugees to a car that simply doesn't look like anything else on the road. During my short time driving the yet-to-be-released Mustang, it was eminently clear the car attracts attention-even in car-jaded SoCal. Sure, there aren't many on the road yet, but even after they hit the streets en masse, I have a feeling this new Mustang won't stand out like a sore thumb when you make like a publisher and valet it at the country club.
As dramatic as the styling change is outside, sliding into the driver seat immediately puts you in unfamiliar territory. Initially it doesn't feel like a Mustang at all, but the double-barrel gauge cluster and three-spoke steering wheel say it is. The seating position feels lower and the center console is a bit higher. The shifter is further back and feels relatively positive, even though you can feel a bit of wiggle when you lean on the remote linkage. The pedals are in a great position for heel-and-toe downshifting, but if you are used to the pedals in a '79-'04 Mustang, it will take some adjustment. I found myself hanging up the throttle because it was so close to the brake. It's something you'll learn to love.