By James Bergeron
Photo Gallery:
2010 Ford Mustang GT
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This week is a little different, with a holiday in the middle of the week — happy birthday, Canada! It is nice to get Wednesday off, as I’m sure most will agree, but it certainly plays havoc with my day-by-day format, so I will do something a little different to offset the holiday — today is day 1 and day 2.
And this week I am driving the new 2010 Ford Mustang in GT trim, and drive it I will. Actually, at the time of writing I already have put 600km on the car with a trip to the track, including 50km on the track, giving me a perspective most road tests would never be capable of equaling.
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After an evening at the track with the new Mustang, I wish I had the opportunity to do an hour or so like this with every sporty car I got my hands on. It certainly gives a totally different meaning to a test drive and it puts the car in a totally different light — good or bad, depending on the car, I suppose.
But first let’s get the details out of the way — what exactly am I driving? We have already established it is a Mustang GT, 2010 model year, with a base price starting at $36,999. My tester, as usual, adds some extras; this time, $6,730 worth, in the form of: an $80 block heater, a $350 security package (alarm system and locking wheel nuts), $2,300 touch screen dvd navigation system, a $2,200 glass roof, 19-inch premium painted wheels at $1,200 and $500 more for the 3.73 rear axle as part of the track package which is a bump in gear ratio from the standard 3.37 rear end.
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Ford is nice enough to throw in a rear backup camera for no extra charge after you pay for the NAV system, which is one of the best — if not the best — systems around, using Microsoft’s Sync technology, which I mentioned just a few weeks back in my Fusion review.
Since I have put so many kilometers on the car, I have many driving impressions to pass along. First was the tall gearing. Even with the 3.73 rear end, the Mustang GT — powered by its 4.6-litre V8 engine — felt sluggish. One would expect a 315hp V8 engine to pull with authority even in top gear on the highway, but it is not the case, with downshifting being a must. I can only imagine the standard 3.37 gear ratio feels slow, which is unfortunate.
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Mustang enthusiasts have assured me it is because of the large diameter 19-inch wheels, saying the new 2005+ Mustangs really benefit from a 4.10 gear ratio, or higher. With the 3.73 ratio, traveling at 120km/h on the highway still yields a leisurely 2200rpm, which makes the GT a great highway cruiser.
A soft suspension also helps the GT on the highway. Unlike many sports cars that beat you up on a daily basis, the Mustang GT feels almost luxurious in its ride quality. Road noise is there but not abundant, and wind noise is controlled extremely well. The one sound that is evident from the cabin is the roar of the engine/exhaust as you step on the go-pedal, and it is welcome anytime as far as I am concerned — the sound is intoxicatingly wonderful!
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The solid axle rear end on the Mustang has been controversial for a few years, as most if not all other sports cars have moved away from this ancient technology and onto independent rear suspension designs. Ford attempted the independent design on the Cobra, only to be crucified by enthusiasts who drag race their cars, so for now they are sticking with the solid axle. Surprisingly, where you would think this would hurt the car the most — on a twisty race track — it doesn’t!
I spent about an hour behind the wheel of the GT at Shannonville Motosport Park, just east of Belleville, Ontario, and let me tell you the Mustang impressed me considerably. The solid axle was a non-issue, the soft springs, which allow for the comfy highway ride, were a non-issue on the track and the neither was the front-heavy design of the V8. Ford has done a masterful job of tuning the car for the driver.
In corners, the Mustang was very balanced. Mild understeer was present, but that is to be expected on any car. Get the proper entry, though, and the Mustang felt very neutral. Even handicapped as I was with all-season tires, others at the track were amazed at how much speed I was carrying through the corners. Gearing was fine for the track, and here is where I realized just how long the gears are, as third brought me down the backstraight, all the way up to over 160km/h before braking and turning and heading around for another lap.
The soft suspension on the Mustang is evident on braking and acceleration, as the weight transfer can be felt and seen with abundance. But on turns, things change and the chassis feels solid: the suspension holds the car’s weight and keeps the tires planted. If someone tells you Mustangs can’t turn, I can assure you they are sorely misinformed!
2010 Ford Mustang GT
MSRP as tested (including destination): $45,079
For more information on Ford and the Mustang visit Ford Canada
