After the first day, you realize this car is an attention getter. Every were you stop, drive, park, the car gets attention. It's certainly cooler than I am. Anyway, Mustang's exterior certainly has a strong appeal.
J. Mays has his hands all over this car. J. Mays is responsible for penning the Mustang, Thunderbird, and VW Beetle. The 2005 Mustang is the past reborn in a style often referred to as ?retrofuturism.? The GT coupe reminds me of Steve McQueen?s Mustang in Bullit, with its fastback roof line. While the coupe has its appeal, the convertible is a step beyond. Even with the top up, the rear window give the drop top a notchback look that is distinctive. It is very proper for a pony car, almost better looking than the hardtop.
It is when you pull the two front latches and press that magic button that the Mustang really impresses. Rough timing puts it at about 13 seconds for a full open. It?s about the same to close it. With the top down, the Mustang goes from pretty to flat out hot. Topless is the only way to be for this car. The long belt line of the car seems uninterrupted from the front of the hood all the way to the end of the trunk. It is a sight to behold. It makes you want to sing the Star Spangled Banner. Or at least put your hand on your chest and hum it silently to yourself, people might think you?re crazy if you get all patriotic around a car (and we?re not crazy, honest!). In fact, it?s so American, for lack of a better term, that I was having a hard time finding any modern music that sounded right blaring out of the Mustang?s Shaker500 stereo. Those huge woofers in the doors look like they belong in a Jeep, but they do the job. The whole system sounds very clear at high volumes when you?re flying down the road.
It is time to go on to things that we?re not to happy with. I have so many mixed emotions about the front end of this car. While I?m not too thrilled about the rear end treatment and prefer many aftermarket approaches, the front poses its own set of problems. First, it?s a mishmash of influences. There are a lot of Mustangs in the front of this car, except the bumper and we?re not sure where that?s from. The bumper and turn lights seem a bit out of place. Also, the fog lights are too dominating for my taste. I do like big huge fog lights on things like Subarus and VWs and strange rally Volvo 240s. The grill of the Mustang does not seem quite wide enough for these buggers. The upcoming Mustang Cobra is more attractive from the front. I did like the ?vents? that are found inboard inside the headlight covers. They could be highlighted a bit more.
If you stand back, the whole package is very appealing. That?s probably why they are so popular. If I could order one, I?d get the GT but skip the fog lights and the rear wing. I?d probably want some different wheels too. Some larger authentic polished Torq-Thrust II wheels wouldn?t look to bad. Actually, if this car had chrome wheels, it would look a lot like the 1993 Mustang convertibles before they came out with the newer body style. Bright yellow, black top, and chrome wheels, it would be retro in more ways than one. Saleen also puts a nice body package on the Mustang. Their rear end treatment is much improved over the stock Ford. In order to keep the car fresh and prevent the dreaded sales slip that many retro models experience, Ford is planning on a refresh before the end of the decade. Bravo!
I will pick it up tomorrow with an actual driving review. In short, the V8 is awesome! Being the second day, giving a good picture of the entire driving experience is not so easy. What is easy? Rolling your right foot into the go pedal and scaring unsuspecting women, children and elderly with the roar of an American V8, <insert Tim Allen grunt here>.
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