Ford wowed drivers with the sixth-generation Mustang’s independent rear suspension and grown-up interior, but a slimmed-down and more powerful new Chevrolet Camaro elevated the pasture in which the two ponies play. For the 2018 model year, the Mustang boasts a little more power and some new options to keep the competition heated.
For 2018, the four-cylinder Mustang EcoBoost is performing line-lock-assisted burnouts on the grave of last year’s V-6 model, replacing the six-cylinder car as Ford’s entry-level pony. The starting price for the turbo Stang is down $610 to $26,485 for the new model year, just $400 more than the old V-6. Power from the 2.3-liter engine is unchanged at 310 horsepower, although torque is up 30 lb-ft to 350.
Those who crave displacement and aural theater should spring for the $35,995 GT with its 5.0-liter V-8. The cloth-seat stripper model comes in $1900 over a 2017 Mustang GT, but that extra cash buys 25 more horsepower and an additional 20 lb-ft over last year’s car, bringing the totals to a stout 460 horses and 420 lb-ft, enough virility to top the Camaro SS V-8. Opting for a convertible adds $5500 to the EcoBoost model and $9500 to the GT, the latter of which is available only in uplevel Premium spec as a droptop.
Ford’s new 10-speed automatic transmission—co-developed with General Motors—can be had on any model for $1595. Regardless of powertrain choice, luxury-minded buyers can step up to a Premium model (for between $4000 and $5000), which grants an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto–capable 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Sync 3, leather-trimmed seating with heated and cooled front chairs, selectable driving modes, and aluminum interior trim, as well as larger 18-inch wheels on EcoBoost models.
Mustangs destined for spirited driving should be spec’d with one of two Performance packages. EcoBoost models can get the Performance pack for just $2495, which adds a 3.55:1 Torsen limited-slip rear end, 19-inch aluminum wheels, a larger radiator, upsized brake discs with four-piston calipers, and revised chassis tuning. The GT’s Performance package is more expensive than its EcoBoost counterpart, at $3995. But it’s also more comprehensive, adding staggered 19-inch wheels, Brembo six-piston front brakes, and a 3.73:1 Torsen differential for stick-shift cars, in addition to the items in the EcoBoost Performance package. An active performance exhaust is available separately for $895 to let the Coyote V-8 really howl.
New for 2018 is the chance to get Ford’s excellent MagneRide suspension, which previously was exclusive to the track-focused Shelby GT350 and GT350R. The magnetic dampers are $1695 but can be fitted only to Mustangs already equipped with a Performance package.
That lengthy options list makes it easy to spec a GT Premium convertible up to the mid-$50K range. While the extra power, torque, and tech are sure to improve the breed, it seems that the days of the inexpensive V-8–powered Mustang are long gone. Enthusiasts are more likely to mourn this loss than that of the departed V-6.
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