2014 Ford Mustang GT: Last Chance Muscle Express

The Ford Mustang GT has enjoyed a long and storied history, and during its almost-50-year tenure as the world's most popular pony car it has had the chance to play a number of different roles on the automotive market.  Initially enormously successful as a commuter car, the Mustang eventually morphed into a muscle machine, then a sadly neutered victim of EPA emissions regulations, and then a surging example of 80's performance in an era where quick and affordable cars were few.

After tweaking the retro-styling formula for the past couple of decades we have arrived at the current and last stop for the traditional Mustang formula, which is to say a big V8 engine in a relatively light, low-tech car.  The 2014 Ford Mustang GT manages to combine its anachronistic platform with a surprising dose of daily comfort and fun, and while its easy to see why the Blue Oval wants to push the evolution of the Mustang in a more modern direction, it's difficult to find fault with what has become a far more competent vehicle than anyone ever expected it would be.

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Looks The Business

The 2014 Ford Mustang GT's styling is perhaps best described as 'aggression incarnate.'  The model that I drove was finished in an eye-searing Grabber Blue which contrasted nicely against its optional tinted glass roof.  Twin air vents on the car's hood, a big and beefy grille, and a trunk-mounted spoiler combined with the Mustang GT's muscular front and rear fender swells to create the instant impression of power and speed.  Sure, there are a few awkward angles from which to observe the coupe, and maybe its quarter windows are a big too small, but even those who aren't especially enamoured of Ford's quest to mine the past for modern styling cues have to admit that the Mustang is impossible to ignore.

The Mustang GT's interior also goes out of its way to tread the nostalgia tip, although the results are more mixed.  From an aesthetic perspective I liked the deep-set tachometer and speedometer, but I had trouble reading the old school font on the latter, especially at night.  The available ambient lighting and its multiple color settings were also a nice touch.  A heavy dose of plastic keeps the GT's cabin from approaching the premium space, but the leather Recaro seats stand out as an exception.  While they had my lower back aching on longer trips, they did a great job of keeping both me and my passenger planted in place during spirited driving.  As for the rear seat, I wouldn't want to punish an adult back there any longer than was absolutely necessary.

Smoke, Power Slides, And Other Antics

For most Ford Mustang GT buyers, the luxury quotient of the car's passenger compartment is a secondary concern.  This compact coupe that has been built specifically to be flogged mercilessly at drag strips, on local road courses, and from stoplight to stoplight in the eternal quest for adrenaline.  In this department the Mustang GT over-delivers.  The car's 5.0-liter V8 engine grinds out 420 horses and 390 lb-ft of twist, and combined with the vehicle's standard six-speed manual transmission it's possible to light up the rear tires with relative ease via the judicious working of the car's clutch.  More interested in turning in a quick time than burying you opponents in a fog of aerosolized rubber?  The GT Brembo Racing package installed on my test coupe offers 3.73 gearing housed inside a Torsen rear differential that did an excellent job of putting the power down in a straight line.  It's also not bad at keeping things from getting too unruly in the corners, too, but like all vehicles with a live axle - and the Mustang GT is one of the very last outside of the pickup segment to offer one - hitting a bump mid-turn will see the back end of the car scuttle sideways.

Helping me stay abreast of the Ford Mustang GT's performance was the suite of Track Apps that came installed with the 2014 model.  In addition to recording the car's 0-100 km/h times and braking distances (I managed a 5.0 second run for the former), it's also possible to cycle through intake temperature, air/fuel ratio, and a few other critical data points displayed in either digital or analog gauge formats.  I was quite impressed to see such a useful feature available on a car of modest origins like the Mustang.

A Fond Farewell To Yesteryear's Fun

By now most Mustang enthusiasts have probably read that the 2015 edition of the car will be moving to a fresh platform that will feature an independent rear suspension, a turbocharged, small-displacement engine option of some kind, and a step back from the 60's-influenced styling that has dominated the car since 2005.  In many ways these are necessary steps to take, because while the 2014 Ford Mustang GT is a strong seller and quite liveable on a daily basis, it's also a car that needs to be manhandled, rather than finessed, in order to squeeze out the best possible performance.  The lap times are there, but it's a real job to drive the car quickly without opting for a special model like last year's Boss 302.

Of course, Ford isn't selling lap times in its showrooms - it's selling an image, and in this regard the 2014 Ford Mustang GT doesn't disappoint.  It's incredibly fast for its price point (although the options can quickly push the car past the $40k mark), it's got the kind of visual menace that will stop dogs from barking and have parents clasp their babies close to the chest, and yet it's civilized enough to pick up the groceries with on the way home from the track.  It will be interesting to see how much the Blue Oval can improve on this all-star everyman when the 2015 model goes on sale sometime next year.  Until then, there's no need to wait - go buy a Mustang GT now, pop some Vanilla Ice into the MP3 player, and enjoy the last of the live axle muscle machines.