MUSTANG MAGIC (some text hidden) new_fordmustang_2018

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 77

There's nothing quite like a Ford Mustang - and plenty was different about the improved version of the 'S550' sixth generation model which arrived in 2018. What wasn't changed was the original MK6 model's mantra of plenty of power at an affordable price. That was served up both in Fastback coupe guise or in Convertible form. In either case, you get a car that'll make you feel alive and there's nothing quite like it. Respect the rumble.

Modelsword count: 12

2dr Fastback coupe / 2dr Convertible - 2.3 EcoBoost / 5.0 V8

Historyword count: 435

Think Ford Mustang and you instantly imagine Steve McQueen, desert highways and the American Dream - one which by 2018, Ford was pleased to find quite a few global buyers wanted to share. The sixth generation 'S550' version was launched to world markets in 2015 and over the next few years, it became the world's best selling sports coupe, with nearly 126,000 examples sold in 146 countries in 2017 alone. So in 2018, Ford improved it, making the car sleeker, quicker, safer and more fun. But would you - could you - really justify one? American buyers have always been able to. From the moment the original Mustang was launched back in 1964, it was an instant hit and went on to be the fastest selling car in history, with more than one million examples finding homes in the first year and a half it was on sale. From then on, the 'Stang became an American institution - the muscle car all others were judged by, especially in the fifth generation guise launched in 2005. It was this version, styled to reflect the Sixties original, that reignited worldwide interest in this model, customers from around the globe soon queuing up to import it from the USA. Ford bosses took note. For years, they'd imagined the Mustang only as an American product, believing that other markets needed a less aggressive design of sports coupe - which is why this side of the Atlantic, we got models like the Capri in the Seventies and the Probe in the Nineties. By the 21st century's second decade though, those kinds of coupes had become a thing of the past. Customers across the world by then had made it clear that they loved the Mustang just as much as Yankee drivers - which is why this sixth generation version was designed with international markets (and right hand drive) in mind from the very outset. That's why buyers over here got a 2.3-litre EcoBoost four cylinder engine option as an alternative to the big old 'Coyote' V8 you'd expect this car to have. As part of this mid-term 2018 model year revamp, the EcoBoost powerplant got more torque, while the V8 featured more power and rev-matching tech. Both units could be ordered with a fiery Active Valve Performance Exhaust, MagneRide adaptive damping and a 10-speed auto gearbox. Plus this Ford at last got a proper suite of camera-driven safety features, along with smarter looks and upgraded connectivity in its better quality cabin. All of this sustained the MK6 Mustang until Ford replaced it with a new MK7 model in late 2022.

What You Getword count: 448

You don't have to be a committed petrol head to know what this car is. In fact, with this MK6 S550 model, Ford was so confident in the global recognition this model enjoyed that the word 'Mustang' didn't appear anywhere on the bodywork of either the Fastback Coupe or the alternative Convertible. It helps of course that this iconic shape has been seen in so many films and TV shows, most memorably of course the 'Bullitt' movie and that car chase with Steve McQueen. This kind of instant recognition is priceless, explaining why Ford was so careful to keep the shape and style of the original 1960s model, while bringing it right up to date in this improved sixth generation guise. The heritage here might be more than 50 years old, but this modern Mustang looks as fresh as this morning's coffee. Get up close and personal and, if you happen to be familiar with the original version of this 'S550' sixth generation model, you'll probably quickly clock the changes made to this improved design with its lower bonnet line and restyled LED headlights. Inside, it's certainly an improvement in the original version of this MK6 design. In this revised model, classier soft-touch materials feature for the door linings and the door handles are fashioned from aluminium. If you're a potential Mustang buyer, you'll probably be someone who quite likes this cabin's rather old-school feel. The pre-facelift model's deeply cowled dials used to add to that, but in this updated design, they were replaced by the customisable all-digital 12-inch LCD instrument cluster you view through the classic, dished three-spoke sports wheel. Taking a seat in the back isn't especially easy because the catch for pulling the seat back forward is awkward to reach and when you use it, the seat doesn't automatically slide forward as it would in a European rival, so you've got to fiddle about with seat base buttons. Getting in is awkward thanks to the low roof line and once you are in place, despite the fact that this car is about the same length as a Ford Mondeo, you'll find that there's virtually no leg room at all, unless the person is front of you is less than averagely tall. Finally, let's deal with boot space. You might expect to have to compromise in this regard with such an out-and-out sportscar. Think again. True, there's quite a high loading lip and the opening is fairly narrow, but you can't argue with the amount of space on offer (408-litres in the Fastback), given the inevitable limitations of a car of this kind. Even the Convertible model can swallow 332-litres of cargo, roof up or down.

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