 Mustang
has been around us for 40 years. Most people still remember its golden
days from the mid-60s to the late 70s, but since 1979 it has never
received
any major revision. Unbelievably, Ford let its Fox platform soldiered
on
for 25 years, let it became tired and outdated, only relied on low low
price to get sales. More unbelievably, although it was always rated by
AutoZine as the poorest car in its segment, the Mustang still caught
140,000
buyers in 2003. It still has a lot of loyal fans.
Thanks God, in 2004 Ford finally gave Mustang what it deserved - a new generation. The new Mustang has its styling going back to its glorious days, resembling the finest Mustang design in the 60s and 70s. But it is also interpreted in a modern way, not just a retro car. Most people seems happy with its styling.
What is the price then? in the United States, the new Mustang is sold for an amazing US$20,000 for the V6 model and US$25,000 for V8 model. In terms of performance per dollar, nothing can beat it.
Of course, this live axle is a new design instead of carry over from the outgoing car. It incorporates 3 links and a Panhard rod for better control, but you can forget what the press release said, as it would have led you believe live axles were the best suspensions in the world. The point is, using the non-independent suspension saves US$300 production cost on each Mustang, which is crucial to its keen pricing and profitability. In the down side, as every automotive text book tells, live axle suspensions have higher unsprung weight thus can never achieve the same ride quality as a properly tuned independent suspension. Moreover, as both wheels are solidly attached together, its handling is easier to be upset by bumps. Apart from rear suspensions, the new chassis has nothing outdated. It is 31% stronger in torsion, taking the absolute value to a world-class 20,300 Nm/degree. That's not far behind Lamborghini Gallardo's 23,000 Nm/degree. The stronger bodyshell relieves the burden on the suspension setting, improves both handling and ride. On the other hand, the new Stang has modernized its old-fashion proportion, pushing the front axle forward and pushing the left and right wheels closer to the body boundary. The former improves front-to-rear weight distribution to 54:46, the latter increases tracks by 61mm (while body width increased by only 20mm). These modifications help improving its handling balance. The Mustang is a straightforward machine, powered by a torquey engine and drive the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearbox. There is no trickery suspensions, while electronic aids are limited to the basic ABS and TC.
The outgoing Mustang GT was powered by a 260-horsepower, 4.6-litre V8 with sohc and 2 valves per cylinder. The new V8 is still a member of this Modular V8 family, but it is nearly another story. Firstly, its block and pistons are converted to aluminum alloy to save 34 valuable kilograms from the front axle. Secondly, the sohc cylinder heads now drive 3 valves per cylinder for faster breathing. In addition, it is equipped with VCT variable cam timing, enabling the engine to run at higher compression ratio without resorting to higher Octane fuel. The V8 produces 300 horsepower (40hp up from the outgoing V8) and 320 lbft of torque. So how does it perform on the road? Subjectively, at the bottom end the V8 does not feel as torquey as traditional Detroit V8s, needing more rev to get into sweet zone. This is just because it lacks cubic inches compare with other American V8s. However, once it is on rev, it has enough power to propel the Mustang GT from zero to 60mph in 5.3 seconds. Then the ton is arrived at 13.5 seconds. This put it at the same pace of Pontiac GTO (the rebadged Holden Monaro) and ahead of all other rivals. Remember, the Mustang undercuts the GTO in price by some margin.
At the limit, where the old car would get nervous, the new Mustang keeps its rear wheels firmly planted on the road, thanks to the Panhard rod and the rock-solid chassis. In this way, it corners with great confidence. This is also helped by the high level of grip and stability it displays. The new Stang is an inherent understeerer. It has sufficient power and chassis adjustability to play throttle oversteer, but this doesn't mean it can match the agility of Nissan 350Z. In most aspects, the Fairlady beats the Mustang convincingly. The only area Mustang scores higher is styling (which is rather subjective) and straight-line performance. To launch the Mustang at the lowest price, Ford sacrificed not only IRS but also cabin quality (and durability, I suspect) and most important, vision. The New Mustang might be all-new, but it brings no new idea. Has it move forward? I don't think so. It is a very conservative car, just try to repeat what it predecessors did in the past 40 years. *
VCT (Variable Cam Timing): You might wonder how Ford can use VCT in a
single-cam
cylinder head. Ford calls it "dual-equal" variable cam timing, implying
the phase shift angle of intake cam mirrors to the exhaust cam. For
example,
if the intake cam shift forward by 25 degrees, the exhaust timing is
delayed
by 25 degrees. This is of course not an optimized design in engineering
point of view, but it does add little cost compare with engines with
twin-cam
and individual VCT actuator for each camshaft.
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| The above report was last updated on 17 Jan 2005. All Rights Reserved. |
The
new Mustang has grown a lot in all dimensions. It is 20mm wider, 60mm
taller
and 120mm longer overall, while the wheelbase is stretched by a massive
150mm to improve cabin space. Inside, there is plenty of room for front
passengers. The rear also gets more, much-needed legroom, although
headroom
is still tight for 6-footers. Like the exterior, the cabin is decorated
like a classic of the 60s, especially with the optional chrome bezel
covering
the dashboard. The visual effect is undoubtedly delicious, but a closer
look will immediately find the plastics are actually nasty and cheap,
while
build quality is as low as its price suggests.
The
new Mustang is built on an all-new platform - some said it is based on
the DEW98 platform of Lincoln LS / Ford Thunderbird / Jaguar S-Type,
but
in fact they have little in common, probably only the MacPherson struts
front suspension and the 5-speed automatic gearbox are shared. The
DEW98
platform is too sophisticated and expensive for the use in Mustang. As
Ford wants to continue selling it as the cheapest performance car on
the
market, any advanced technologies are ruled out, even including
independent
rear suspensions. This means it continues to ride on a solid live axle
rear suspension, a thing disappeared in European and Japanese
production
cars for at least 20 years! 
As
before, the Mustang is offered with a V6 and a V8, the former
especially
attracts a lot of female buyers. The 4.0-litre V6 is naturally the
budget
choice. It is a simple sohc and 2 valves per cylinder design, lifting
straight
from Ford's trucks. It develops 210 horsepower and a useful 240 lbft of
torque. Compare with the outgoing 3.8-litre push-rod V6, it is not only
more punchy but also noticeably smoother and quieter.
Surprisingly,
the live axle suspensions is more refined than expected. Just like GM
already
proved in its push-rod V8s, modern engineering can sometimes improve
old
technologies to the extent that you couldn't believe. On really broken
surfaces, the Mustang's non-independent rear suspension does show its
age,
where it cannot filter the shock as well as modern multi-link or
double-wishbones
suspensions. However, on better road you will be hard to tell what kind
of suspensions it uses. The ride is firm and controlled, decent for a
performance
car. 
Fast
Mustangs have never been our cup of tea. To appreciate them, we need to
recalibrate our taste, forgetting all the indicators we used to assess
cars, namely, technology, refinement and handling. We have to put 100%
weighting on power and performance, and remind you, the latter had
better to be expressed in the form of quarter-mile time. Hot rod /
muscle car / pony car lovers never listen to other people. They have
their own way to evaluate a car good or bad. Sadly, Mustang GT500 was
designed to please these people. 
Hau
Tai-Tang's approach has been controversial. Last time he bet on solid
live axle suspensions for the new Mustang, and now from sales figures
we all know he has won. This time he put his money on a truck engine.
Well, some said the 5.4-litre DOHC 32-valve supercharged V8 was derived
from the one serving Ford GT supercar. However, we should note that it
has replaced the GT's aluminum block and dry sump with a cast-iron
block and wet sump like Ford's heavy duty truck engines. It saves
money, but adds dozens of kilogram to the nose of the car and raise the
center of gravity a lot. The taller engine needs a power dome on the
bonnet to house.
Nevertheless,
no one expect a Mustang to boost Five Hundred Horsepower (just like no
one expected Ford Five Hundred so underpowered, by the way). It is hard
to believe the Mustang can be more powerful than Ferrari F40, the
world's fastest car 15 years ago. Moreover, at US$42,000, the GT500
must be the world's cheapest 500-horsepower car. For the same money,
you cannot even buy a base Corvette !
Admittedly,
such performance level is still outstanding for the price. Moreover, it
delivers such performance more easily than any previous fast Mustangs,
thanks to the adoption of electronic launch and traction control. Plus,
the clutch is smooth and progressive, a vast improvement from the old
SVT Cobra. Unfortunately, the heavy duty Tremec 6-speed gearbox is far
from slick. 
The
setting of the chassis bias towards mild understeer, which is
understandable considering how much torque transfer to the rear tires.
On glass smooth race tracks, you can throttle steer it from understeer
to oversteer. The smooth and honest steering encourages you to play it.
However, on normal roads the scene is vastly different. Bumps and road
irregularities can easily upset the ancient solid axle rear suspension.
Hit a bump mid-corner will cause the rear end jump and side way, blame
to that horrible unsprung weight. Even on motorway, you need constant
steering correction to keep it running straight. 
Had
the buyers of yesterday's GT500KR known that their "King of the Road"
would become today's production GT500, would they have spent US$80,000
for the so-called "limited edition" ? Now, for less than US$50,000, you
can get a GT500 that is essentially the same car as KR. This not only
include the 540-horsepower version of supercharged V8 but also the
suspension modifications that made KR more tie down to the road. Owners
of KR must be regret that they did not listen to our advice last year.
Like
KR, the car gets the same suspension treatment such as stiffer springs
and dampers, increased negative camber and lower ride height. The
Goodyear Eagle F1 tires might not be as sticky, but still more grippy
than the old GT500's. Some money is saved by using aluminum instead of
carbon-fiber bonnet. That might deteriorate balance, but using a
wet-sump iron-block V8 proves that Ford doesn't care about balance
anyway. 