- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
5.0i, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
306kW, 530Nm
- Fuel
NA
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
2/5 star (2017)
2016 Ford Mustang Fastback GT 5.0 V8 Review
A while ago, I was at a cafe catching up with an old friend of mine from High school, and he was telling me that he had recently got back from India to attend an arranged Marriage. I remember sitting there listening and thinking, who in their right mind would make such a large commitment without knowing or experiencing what they are getting?
Fast forward to today, and funnily enough,
I have experienced the exact same thing . . . . . well sort of.
- V8 sound track ( with aftermarket exhaust ), the attention you get, price, brakes , great accelaration
- sync 2 is a little slow, 350km to a tank ( even going slow ), high clutch take up point
Last Friday morning, I stood face to face with a sheet covered 2016 Mustang GT I ordered in Feb of 2015. As I pulled back the veil and saw her for the first time, I can tell you, it was love at first sight. Now obviously I already knew what they looked like, as I had seen a few on the road and the internet is awash with them. But I had never driven one. What if it wasn’t fast enough? What if it just wasn’t for me? What if it drove like a bucket of S*%t? Well after owning the car for 5 days, I can say with the utmost confidence, especially to people who may read this who have ordered one . . . . fear not, as this arranged marriage is the story of two star crossed lovers, a story of Romeo and his Juliet . . . I mean Eleanor.
I know, I got carried away back there, but bear with me, as I’m still aware that I’m meant to be writing a review.
Having only owned the car but a moment, I cannot comment on things like reliability or even fuel economy, as I am still running on the same tank of fuel the dealer filled the car with. But I have a funny feeling most people reading a review on a 5 litre 300+ kilowatt sports car won’t really be too hung up on things like that.
I’m going to cut straight to the chase. This is a great car. It has a wonderful Jekyll and Hyde personality. When I drove from the dealer to home I remember getting a little bit of a sinking feeling
that it didn’t feel that responsive or fast. However it hadn’t stopped raining from the moment I got up that day, and having never owned a rear wheel drive V8 before, the concept "no grip means no acceleration" is something I hadn’t had to ponder. So I had no choice but to putter around and enjoy the cars other features, such as those comfortable big leather seats, the intuitive sync 2 system and the sound of the aftermarket cat-back exhaust I had the dealer fit for me pre-delivery. What a thunderous sound the engine delivers with a free flowing exhaust, another gentleman was taking delivery of a GT at the same time as me with the standard exhaust, you could tell he was a little bit disappointed when he kicked his over and you could still hear a pin drop in the showroom.
The next day, pulling out onto the road, the sun was still not shining; however the roads had dried up. Yes!! Time for a real acceleration test. I wait for the right opportunity (and to be pointing in a straight direction), drop the hammer down, and instantly, my worries about it being fast enough were smashed to pieces with my head whipped back into the seat and my ears rattled by the sound of the exhaust roar. The mustang makes hard acceleration a real event, you really do get the sensation that you are actually riding it rather than driving it in a sense, as the front end lifts and the tyres struggle to cope from the amount of torque it has.
In regards to the ride, it is sporty and mildly firm. I did come across a couple of speed bumps and train tracks, that didn’t necessarily unsettle the car in anyway, but my advice to prospective owners in those situations would be, approach slowly and with care as the suspension revealed itself to have a sport/comfort ratio leaning towards 60:40. However Because the seats are so comfortable and soft, they iron out any harshness or sharp bumps which in turn gives the illusion of a much smoother ride.
Now what I’m about to say is a big claim, but please notice the next words in capital letters before throwing spears at. AT THE PRESENT TIME, the best car you can possibly own at the moment is the 2016 Ford mustang GT. If only for the reason of exclusivity alone. Driving this car literally feels like I am star of the Truman show. You drive along and think, "So this is what it must be like to have a good body and take a stroll along the beach". Being made to feel special and lucky is what this car does best. It makes me smile even when I’m not driving it, and isn’t life about getting as many smiles as you can?