Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang Models

An abundance of choice was part of the original Ford Mustang recipe and today's Mustang carries on that tradition. Today's Mustang comes with V6 and V8 power, each in coupe and convertible body styles. Each of these four variants is available in Deluxe or Premium trim. The Ford has added a value-leader V6 coupe in Standard trim. That makes nine different price points, and we haven't even mentioned the super high-performance Cobra; the Cobra is again offered in coupe and convertible styles, in one trim level.

The Mustang V6 is a 3.8-lliter overhead-valve unit producing 190 horsepower. The 4.6-liter overhead-cam V8 produces 260 horsepower, and Mustangs that have it are called GTs. The Cobra, which competes against the Camaro SS and the Firebird Ram Air, is powered by a 32-valve dual overhead-cam V8 making 320 horsepower.

With most of these variants, you have the further choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Exceptions are the premium V6 convertible, which comes with the automatic only; and the Cobras, which require the five-speed.

Driving the Ford Mustang

Performance is what the Mustang GT is all about. Its 4.6-liter, sohc modular V8 produces 260 horsepower at 5250 rpm, with 302 pounds-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. And it sounds great, whether cruising or at full throttle. Last year, the GT engine benefited from revised camshafts and intake manifold runners, and larger valves for improved airflow above 3000 rpm. A new coil-on-plug ignition system replaced the previous ignition for higher-energy sparks.

Mustang's 3.8-liter split-port V6 engine develops 190 horsepower at 5250 rpm, with 220 foot-pounds of torque at 2750 rpm. All models, regardless of engine or transmission, have a 3.27:1 rear axle ratio.

The flexibility of both the V8 and V6 engines make them good mates for the transmissions, which have sufficient strength to take high-rpm shifts for the life of the car. Last year, the four-speed automatic was re-calibrated for smoother upshifts. Both transmissions shift smoothly. With the manual transmissions, it feels like you're shifting a big gearbox in a big car. Clutch travel is a bit long, so you have to be fleet of foot to pull off consistently clean power shifts.

Traction control, previously optional, is now standard on the Premium V6 and on all V8s. The Bosch system works at all speeds: Whenever wheelspin is detected, the system retards ignition timing, cuts fuel flow, and activates the brakes at one or both drive wheels, in that order. The driver can turn the system off with a console switch.

The Mustang offers good grip when cornering hard, and you can really feel what the car is doing. The car involves the driver. Most of the raw edges and choppiness of the previous generation have been smoothed out. The current-generation Mustang was engineered for improved rear-suspension compliance, with longer wheel travel, which reduces ride harshness. A revised boost curve gives the steering a more linear response and better on-center feel than in pre-1999 Mustangs. And the turning circle of this latest Mustang has been reduced by three feet through changes to the steering rack, the lower control arms and front stabilizer bars.

The braking system was re-engineered for 1999, also, with new aluminum twin-piston front calipers to reduce unsprung weight by a significant 10 pounds. The new calipers also contribute to greatly improved brake pedal feel, while the new master cylinder that arrived at the same time improved not only modulation but also the ratio of brake pedal travel to braking action. ABS, like traction control, is standard on Premium V6s and all V8s. It can be ordered as a $730 package with traction control on all other Mustangs except base-level, manual-transmission coupes. ABS helps the driver to maintain steering control under hard braking, a useful, though not necessarily advisable, feat in the Mustang.