You know how you imagined the Scion FR-S / Subaru BR-Z being pretty awesome with about 100 more horsepower? Or how you figured the Challenger or Camaro would be pretty slick if things were smaller, lighter, and tighter in the controls? Or how you figured the Genesis Coupe would be pretty swell with a more refined interior and even sharper reflexes? Well, wish not, fellow gear-heads: the answer to your wishes is here, and it’s called the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost.

For its latest iteration, Mustang engineers launched an all-out assault on slack, slop and softness. The resulting car is lower, wider, stiffer and stronger than ever, and it launches a new era for Mustang handling and responsiveness. The new Mustang is very serious, and it no longer rides and handles like undercooked lasagna.

One of the most important parts of driving a sports car is the way it feels, and the way that makes you, the driver, feel. Forget looks, driving environment and flashy features for a moment: at its core, driving a sports car is all about experiencing a feeling. If you agree, the latest Ford Mustang is a car that should be given your immediate attention.

Instant. Instant, instant, instant. It’s the word to describe the controls.

Steering has zero slack. Not a little hint of slack, or a whiff of slack, but actually, zero slack. Even a little twitch on the wheel sends it darting around. You don’t even need to use your arms to steer—just tighten up the muscles on one side of your hand, or the other, and the car heads that way. Last time I drove something with steering this sharp and fast and instantaneous, it was a $165,000 Porsche 911 GT3. So ya, it’s pretty fricken good.

For customization of Mustang’s steering, drivers can tap a button to pick from different modes. Normal works well as an all-purpose setting, the sport setting is the quick and sharp one, possibly even bordering on too quick and sharp for around-town use, which is sweet. If you’re cruising the highway while blasting AC/DC and enjoying an inconveniently-drippy burrito, use the comfort mode instead. It’s more laid back. In any case, and especially with the sport calibration engaged, drivers can expect an instant read of what’s happening between the tires and the pavement during hard driving, and lightning reflexes.

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