2018 Ford Mustang GT

Base MSRP:  $25,680

Engine:  5.0 Liter V8

Horsepower:  460

Torque:  420

0-60:  4.4

 Text: Yousef Alvi Photography: Jonathan Walker

Bring me a Mustang GT and I will show you what truly makes America great. A V8, manual, rear wheel drive. That simple combination has a personality that no other car can match.  That soul is seared into the collective consciousness of the buying public and helped the Mustang become a perennially best seller.  The introduction of the S550 has helped bridge the gap from muscle car to legitimate sports car, making Mustang the bestselling coupe in the world. 

The S550, which debut back in 2015, represented a gigantic leap in engineering for the Mustang.  It featured an IRS, lighter weight, turbocharged engine, and an interior not made out of Legos….with performance on and off the track to boot.  Fast forward to 2018 you get the first refresh of this new generation Mustang. 

Ford went to town on the Coyote V8.  The new V8 features direct along with port fuel injection and higher compression which bumps horsepower to 460!  Then they raised the redline to 7000 rpm…spitting distance to its GT350 cousin.  At the same time, they completely reworked the manual gearbox.  Now featuring a twinplate clutch and a dual mass flywheel.  Those two enhancements help rocket the GT’s 0-60 time down to 4.4 seconds!  If you want to go faster though…get the auto.  The new 10-speed will drop the time down to 3.9!

Ford didn’t stop at the mechanicals though…the interior was updated as well.  The optional new digital gauge cluster is fantastic and the Recaro seats are from the heavens. There is updated materials strewn about the cabin and SYNC 3 is now available with Apple CarPlay…making one of the best infotainment rigs on the market even better.

So how is it to drive?  It’s so good that you want to wrap yourself in the American flag.  The adaptive suspension works wonders.  Just flip the drive mode to Normal and you can just lazily drive around without care in the world…just listening to the deep rumble of that V8.  Then when the road opens up, flip the drive mode to Sport Plus or Track, drop down to 3rd and hold on.  The front end will buck up and you are hurtling into the horizon at literal breakneck speeds.

Unlike Mustangs of the past when you reach a series of bends, you don’t have to slow down either.  Our test car had the Performance Pack, which comes with huge Brembos, LSD and the excellent Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.  Truly, helps transforms the Mustang into a canyon-carving beast.  The Mustang hunkers down and attacks the road in front of you with almost illegal amounts of fun. 

So how do I sum up the 2018 Ford Mustang GT?  The Mustang crosses boundaries. People smile and give you thumbs up as you role by. The judgemental stare you may have gotten yesterday seemingly vanishes. It’s the great unifier. Welcome to the American way of life…welcome to Mustang.