I would not be doing this icon justice if I didn’t remind you why it’s dubbed such. You may remember the Ford Mustang from the legendary car chase by Steve McQueen through the streets of San Francisco, or you may have seen the passionate Nicolas Cage in Gone in 60 seconds praise and fear Eleanor when he raced it in the streets of Los Angeles. Perhaps even Vin Diesel in the Fast franchise. Point is, Hollywood has taught us that making a successful car chase scene in a movie requires a Mustang.
We got to experience the full throttle of the legend herself on launch in Cape Town. Setting out on a mission to improve/upgrade an icon takes guts. A risk that Ford was willing to take and dare I say one that has proven to be worth it. The new Ford Mustang range comes in two engines, a 2.3-litre Eco boost which will give you 213kW with 441Nm, designed to be more fuel efficient and I am guessing made for those without the need for speed. The second engine is a 5.0-litre GT V8 producing 331kW with a torque peak of 529Nm, a complete attention seeker. The starring of the show, the special edition Ford Mustang BULLIT packs a whopping 338kW version of Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 with a six-speed manual gearbox.
We first got the feel of the 5.0-litre GT and this was a roaring fest. This much power in such a cool looking car got us audiences everywhere we passed. The Mustang oozes sex appeal, roars like Mufasa and demands respect. The Mustang now has a lower bonnet profile, integrated air vents, and a lower grille design. In the Mustang you get four driving modes, Normal, Sport, track and quiet, you can guess which one was popular at the launch-playing with boys! The Eco boost 2.3-litre is not as exhilarating and of course it’s no V8 but it possesses an acceptable amount of power.
Interior
Don’t have very high expectations when it comes to this car’s interior, yes it is a Mustang but the build quality and refinement are a bit underwhelming, of course Ford would argue that the focus has always been on the engine. The leather-trimmed seats are soft, they also have heated and cooled function which was quite useful in the unpredictable Cape Town weather. The all-digital 12-inch LCD instrument cluster is impressive in that it delivers information displays optimised to match the selected driving mode. The new Mustang also features Ford’s SYNC 3 communication and entertainment system, with an 8-inch screen that is not in what you would also find impressive picture but it is touch screen.
Safety
For the first time Mustang is equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert technologies. The new Mustang is offered with a comprehensive range of driver assistant technologies including Pre-collision assists with Pedestrian detection as well as lane departure warning.
What do I think? There have been 9.8 million Mustangs sold since 1965, that’s a whole lot of generational coolness. The Ford Mustang is a legend, and I would say if your bank account agrees you should definitely get yourself one. The Mustang range is available in fastback and convertible body styles, not a fan of the convertible don’t get me wrong Slahlas are cool but the Mustang looks way better in fastback version.
If you are true Ford Mustang fan, the special edition Bullitt is for you, the manual gearbox is exactly what you need to get your heart racing, blood pumping and a true feel of the legend. But you would have to hurry because only 50 of these will be available in Mzansi.


Model and Pricing:
- Mustang 2.3 Fastback 10AT R768 000
- Mustang 2.3 Convertible 10AT R831 000
- Mustang 5.0 GT Convertible 10AT R978 400
- Mustang 5.0 GT Fastback 10AT R915 800
- Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8 Fastback 6MT R995 400