It is one of those cars that makes history. Back in 1964, when the gang at Ford, headed by Lee Iacocca, believe it or not, took a humble Falcon economy car and draped a sexy body on it, they produced the most desirable, least capable beauty ever, until Pamela Anderson I suppose.
And it went through good times, and some pretty darned mediocre ones but now, the old Pony Car wars are back and Big 3 competition has brought us what might be the sleeper of the pack.
The V6 version of the Mustang is the best seller, derisively called “secretary’s cars” by big, burly butch types like me, they are the bread and butter of the line. And with Gas tickling $3 as I write this, suddenly they make more sense.
And since Chevy coaxed over 300 horsepower out of the Camaro V6, Mustang’s puny 210 looked even more anemic. Well that has been fixed. The new 3.7-liter six cranks out 305 ponies and with the notchy 6-speed transmission will take the car to 60 in 5.4 seconds.
The one thing they haven’t changed, and should, is the solid rear axle. Both Dodge and Chevy have long since gone to fully independent rear suspensions, and if you’re wondering why, take the Mustang around a bumpy corner at speed. When the rear breaks loose, like 2 seconds ago, it is a fanny-puckering moment to remember.
And around town, it will cost you one gallon of go-juice for every 24 miles you travel in the city. Too bad it was raining when we had this lovely little convertible, but even with the electric top up, the latest Mustang was quiet and rattle-free. The leather was gorgeous, and with a few doodads you could easily live without, is just over $30,000.
Now the question is, can your ego stand a secretary’s car that will take you to 60 faster than a mid-90’s Corvette and won’t burn through your gas allowance any faster than a Honda Accord? I can answer in 3 words…sign me up.