Ford Mustang celebrates 45th anniversary
April 12, 2009 by Matt Brogan
The Mustang Story: Generation Five (2005 – Present)
The fifth generation of America’s favorite pony car – built on the new S197 platform – made its debut in the 2005 model year.
“The biggest challenge for our team was to develop a new generation Mustang that would have the functional and cost structure ‘bandwidth’ to cover the entry V6 model all the way up to the high-performance Shelby GT500 convertible model,” recalled Hau Thai-Tang, then chief engineer of the Mustang program. “That amount of market coverage in terms of pricing and performance is very tough to achieve with one common platform.”
From a styling perspective, the aim was to design a vehicle that captured the essence of the original Mustangs from the ’60s. Designers brought in a 1967 Mustang for inspiration.
“Every member of our team rallied around the vision of making the 2005 Mustang the best Mustang ever,” said Thai-Tang. “Our goal was to build on the tremendous legacy of the Mustang, to make it instantly recognizable as a Mustang and to deliver on the Mustang promise: fast, fun and affordable.”
The result was a modern interpretation of first-generation Mustangs. The canted nose with its big grille and round headlights recalled the ’67 to ’69 Mustangs, while the side sculpting, fastback roofline and taillights recalled the ponies from 1965.
“Most people don’t realize how much of a risk Ford took by choosing to invest in the development of the 2005 Mustang,” said Thai-Tang. “We were the only remaining player in the segment, and we could have easily played it safe and done just enough to keep the Mustang going. Instead, Ford raised the bar.”
The 2005 Mustang was an immediate sales success.
Little changed for the 2006 Mustang, but for the 2007 model year Ford’s SVT delivered the Shelby GT500 – the most powerful factory Mustang ever produced, boasting 500 horsepower. It featured Shelby, Cobra and SVT badging and was offered as either a coupe or a convertible.
Thai-Tang says one of his favorite Mustang moments occurred during the development of the Shelby GT500 program.
“Automotive legend Carroll Shelby was driving one of our convertible test mules, and I was riding in the passenger seat when a young man pulled up to us in a Camaro. He looked over and saw an 82-year-old man driving a funny looking Mustang, and he wanted to race us,” recalls Thai-Tang. “Needless to say he lost the race. When he finally caught up with us, he did a doubt take. He realised that it was no ‘ordinary’ 82-year-old and no ‘ordinary’ Mustang!”
A special “Warriors in Pink” Mustang was introduced for the 2008 model year to help raise funds for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure breast cancer research. The second limited-edition Mustang Bullitt debuted the same year.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Shelby’s “King of the Road” GT500 (KR) model , Ford introduced the 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR, which surpassed the Shelby GT500 as the most powerful production Mustang ever produced.
Last year, Ford marked a major milestone when the 9 millionth Mustang was built. The company also introduced the 2009 Mustang, which offers a segment-first factory-installed glass roof as well as special 45th Anniversary badging to commemorate the birthday of the iconic car.
The legendary Mustang drives into the future as the best muscle car yet. The 2010 Mustang is a fun-to-drive vehicle that combines modern technology and safety with Mustang’s sporting heritage, including a more powerful V8 and an even-throatier signature Mustang exhaust sound.
“The 2010 Mustang is drop-dead gorgeous,” said Paul Randle, Mustang chief engineer. “This car marks the best efforts of 45 years of passion and enthusiasm among the best designers, engineers and manufacturing experts in the business.”
- To read “The Mustang Story: Generation One”, click here.
- To read “The Mustang Story: Generation Two”, click here.
- To read “The Mustang Story, Generation Three”, click here.
- To read “The Mustang Story, Generation Four”, click here.
- To read Josh McKenzie’s Mustang AutoRoute, click here.
We trust you’ve enjoyed this feature and wish to thank Ford Media US for use of text and images.
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Love it! The raw power and old school handling of the Mustang is one of a kind. This thing isnt about cornering at a blistering speed…but the noise, looks and all that V8 power!!
Great car, but the 220kw from the GT’s v8 is a bit of a joke these days
the 2010 is a massive improvement in styling too.
i really like the 05 onward stang.
and 220kw may seem like a week power out put but it’s times are better than the base camaro and challanger v8.
0-100 times are under 5.0 seconds
and a 400m time in the mid 13 seconds are what make this car a mustang
Two major problems with the current model Mustang
1) although the styling was an initial hit, its really dated very badly and the new Comaro and Charger make it look instantly very old. Its not going to go down in history as a classic design
2) what WHERE THEY THINKING with a live rear axle? I know they where trying to keep costs down but seriously??? when you can buy an “entry level compact” as American’s would call it with independant rear suspension it is totally unaceptable for a supposed sports car of the reputation of the Mustang to sport a live axle.
Fact is, there was only ever one good mustang, and that was the original, every single odel since has been utter rubbish.
awsome vehicles and no major problems with them at all.
Escort_Ghia,
those times are for the 2010, also its 5.2 to 100 and 13.5 on the quarter. They use very aggressive diff ratio’s too
And by base camaro, you mean the v6 model right? Yeah well the v6 model runs 14 flat, and that is competition for the v6 mustang, which is in the 15’s…
the v8 camaro will run high 12’s, its in the mustangs price bracket.
This vehicle would be even better if it was based on the falcon platform, the yanks just don’t get it.
Why? The Falcon is a much larger car
Supercujo – there were reports a couple of years ago in a number of magazines and on various websites that the Next generation Mustang was going to be built at Broadmeadows or at least be based on the same platform as the new FG Falcon.
The Falcons IRS would have made it handle better because in a number of recent Comparisons between the Mustang Camaro and Challenger the only real thing letting the Mustang down is the Live rear axle
Tom – The Falcon is a much larger car However; that doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t build a sports coupe on the Falcon platform – because look at the Camaro; it’s built on the VE platform and the Commodore is a much larger car.
Lets all remeber the Mustang GT only uses a 4.6L V8 compared to the 6.1 Hemi and the 6.2L LS3 V8 that are in the the challanger and Camaro. so realisticly it competing pretty well with the new cars cnsdering.. and remember these to cars are only returned to the scene that the mustang has had to it self for so long, so the next mustang will improve heaps as it will be required…
Buts saying that… who are the 2 companies VERY VERY close to going broke???
but saying the there is the GT500 to think about and take in consideration. 403Kw with about 680Nm. in its S/C 5.4L V8.
and the live axle has been used as it was what the fans and owners wanted for the mustang when it was been designed.. but yes it would be good if Ford US used the FG platform,then i am shore Ford Aus would use the Ford US engines.
imagine a 403Kw, 680Nm V8 FG falcon with ZF auto…
Wheelnut, yes the camaro is slightly smaller then the VE, but only sligly, look at the new camaro next to a 4th gen and it looks ridiculously large. Its still 90% VE size
ChopstaR87, the brand new mustang got released about a month ago, look it up, its a 2010, it looks similar but its not a facelift, and smaller capacity is no excuse for inferior power. Use a larger engine if a small one won’t do the job.
The new GT500 is nuts, but its also a 50,000USD car, keep in mind the camaro is only 30,000. You can buy a z51 corvette for the price of the new GT500
i didnt mean a face lift, i mean the Next Gen. 2012-13… but to be honest i could see it will have a eco boost TT V6 in the next year or 2.
oh yea tom, as going by the GM website the 2009 ZR1 is from Us$106,620 to US$116,620, so that would be double the cost of the GT500 would it not?? the Base Vette is from US$49,515 – Base Vette has 335Kw to the GT500 403Kw.
What would the point in vesting a large sum of money to devolop a V8 engine that will be replaced in the next year or so by the Twin Turbo V6 with Eco boost any ways…?
tom in all the tests ive seen the camaro the base v8 camaro has been slower than the mustang it was only the 40,000 doller SS that beat it with a 4.9 0-100 time and a 13.2 second 0-400m.
the Mustang may have a live rear axle but its still a more mimbel car than both the Challenger and the Camaro.
plus they have 5.0L DOHC V8 comming soon with 400hp.
but as far a V8’s go the 4.6 has great performance.
The Mustang did have an IRS in some models for a few years. But the core market which are drag and track didn’t want that ‘feature’. So, Ford gave them what they wanted.
As for future Mustangs, it will get Ecoboost I4 & V6, plus V6 and V8. The NA V8 is rumoured to be 280kW/510Nm on 91 octane fuel.
ChopstaR87, i said Z51, as in the base C6 with the Z51 handling package, 425hp LS3 in a 3200lbs car. i don’t know were you are pulling ZR1 from.
Escort_Ghia, i don’t know what “base” Camaro you are talking about, the Camaro comes in two trims, V6 with the optional RS package, and then the SS. There is only one level of v8 performance, that being the SS. The SS runs 12.9 and 4.7 and costs $30,000. From Chevrolet.com. And no, and i stress no tests have got the new mustang into the 4’s for the 0-60 run, check out edmunds inside lines comparo between the stang, camaro and challenger. The mustang ran 5.3 and 13.5 from memory against the camaro’s 4.9 and 13 flat.
ChopstaR87, its also well known the Mustang is getting the 400hp 5.0L engine Ford has developed for its truck range next year. The market doesn’t want ecoboost.
Sorry ChopstaR87, i didn’t read your post. You do realise power isn’t everything right? The base c6 may have “only” 320kw compared to the Mustangs 403, but it only weighs just over 1400kg, were the stang is over 1800. That is were the difference is made.
Straight line or track performance, a base c6 would destroy the mustang.
i do understand Power to wieght which is would slightly in the C6 favor, but the thing is that the GT500 has the Extra torque as well which also assist moving the extra wieght in a Straight line it would be close… saying that around a track the C6 would be quicker as its lighter and would handle better cause of this.
The C6 is a sports car the GT500 is a musule car,big difference,weight,rear tyre size ford reaily have a competitor for the c6 they would need to make a 360kw Ford GT to do that.
Tom watch this then it clearly says 0-60 in 4.9 second and a 13.5 1/4 the carmao ss gets from 0-60 in 4.7 but the 1/4 mile time is 13.0 flat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-uTjaQ6E7g
Cool..its a great news. :-)
Escort_Ghia, my bad. Its still showing the similarly priced camaro is alot faster. Keep in mind a track pack mustang is actually more then the camaro
also ChopstaR87, the C6 LS3 vettes have posted 11 second quarter miles. The GT500’s are showing low to mid 12’s. Then comes handling etc. Its just the GT500 isn’t really competitive for its money, i love it though.
Who would buy the challenger i don’t know
Tom yeah but it would be better on a track becouse most cars with a live rear axle.
I do agree with you that the camaro is a better road car though.
the amazing thing about the mustang is it’s 4.6L V8 performance and the way it rev’s, it will be more interesting fight once the 5.0L get’s here and they start puting the new 3.5LDI V6 in it
Look at the trap speed difference
the Mustang runs 13.5 @ 104 but the Camaro does it in 13.0 @ 111mph
thats a big trap difference.
tom the camaros faster theres no question but the Mustang is more nimble and handles better on smooth tracks.
i like all 3 of the new pony cars and it would be a hard tossup between the Mustang and Camaro but I would most likly get the Mustang becouse I have a soft spot for them, but I would buy an old one before any of them.
I’d get the mustang too actually, but its more of an emotive buy more then anything, the Camaro is clearly the ‘better’ car if such a thing exists.
Funny people call it so overweight too, the new M3 isn’t much off that weight… I think its the large aggressive appearance more then anything.
yeah the new Camaro dose look Fat but it was ment to look larger than life.