The 2010 Ford Mustang: A Ponycar Without Compromise

Porsche owners can be terribly annoying people. Incredibly proud of their preferred automaker’s engineering prowess, they’ll spend hours trying to convince you that the decades spent fine-tuning and tweaking the 911’s rear engine layout have turned the worst powertrain layout possible into a thing of beauty.

And then they’ll lambaste the Mustang’s “archaic” live rear axle in the same breath. Although hailing from the era that saw the invention of the wheel, the live rear axle still has a lot to offer the modern driver; reliability, predictability, and the ability to handle ridiculous amounts of power. And while Porsche engineers may have brought the rear-engine 911 platform to its zenith, Ford’s definitely taken the live rear axle to previously unknown heights.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’ve wrapped that rear axle with a thoroughly updated Mustang that’s easily the best that Ford’s ever built. It’s pretty apparent from the moment you step up to the newest ponycar from Dearborn; the aging retro-themed bodywork that was ushered in way back in 2005 has made way for new, crisp sheetmetal. Don’t get me wrong, the ’05 Mustang was absolutely amazing; it earned a spot on my laptop wallpaper for a solid six months. But after four year of suffering under the same scoop-and-sticker rut that Mustang stylists seem to fall into after a couple years, the 2010’s fresh face is much appreciated. While the ’05 harkened back to the famous 1964-1/2 Mustang, the current iteration draws more cues from the later ’69 and ’70 models. More aggressive headlights, a lower grille, a prominent hood bulge and a significantly revised rear fascia work to improve aerodynamic drag by seven percent and reduce front-end lift by a whopping 23 percent. It’s an impressive change given the ’05 unibody structure continues almost unchanged; a quick glance at the roofline and pillars gives that much away.

But that’s about all that remains. Underneath, there’s very little of the 2005 Mustang soldiering on. Sure; the recipe is similar, but the ingredients are all different. The 2009 Mustang Bullitt was used a platform for the 2010 model, with a few tweaks here and there to dial up the performance. Stiffer springs and revised compression and rebound rates make for a car that supposedly corners with a ten percent flatter attitude. Sadly, I left my high speed protractor at home, so we’ll just have to take Ford’s word for that.

Under the hood, the Bullitt’s influence is apparent in the revised cold air intake. Tuned to provide 15 more horsepower (providing a new total of 315) and 5 more pound-feet of torque (now sitting at 325) the old 4.6L modular motor is a bit more show than go at this point. With the new Camaro offering nearly as much power in V6 form and the Challenger R/T and SRT8 both surpassing the Mustang GT’s output, it just doesn’t have the grunt to back up the awesome sounds that emanate from its twin tailpipes. But for those looking for an exhilarating soundtrack, the Mustang’s hard to beat; the pairing of the new cold air intake and free-flowing exhaust provide a testosterone-infused soundtrack to back up any high-rpm hooliganry. And that’s no accident; Ford’s actually connected the engine’s intake tract to the interior of the car’s cabin via a “sound induction tube.” Intended to project all that auditory goodness into the waiting eardrums of would-be Steve McQueens, it features a membrane to deaden any untoward tones while providing an airtight seal between the engine and the interior compartment.

And perhaps that “sound induction tube” is the perfect segue to open a discussion of the newfound attention to detail Ford’s engineers took to the interior design. Long gone are the huge expanses of hard plastic, replaced by new soft-touch materials and efficient design. The styling is, as with the exterior, inspired by the Mustang’s of yore with a dual binnacle design. Bright trim carries from the driver’s door to the passenger side and is surrounded by first-rate squishy black foam plastic with a crisp leather texture. In between, the familiar Ford corporate controls allow access to all the regular functions, with the excellent Sync system also available. The only real difference is the change in functionality to the traction control button. Once a simple push-on, push-off switch, it now controls the AdvanceTrac stability control system that’s standard on all Mustangs. Allowing a surprising amount of illegal activities before cutting in, those drivers with lawyers on retainer can elect to select either a more permissive Sport mode, or may turn the system entirely off for those, ahem, “Closed Course, Professional Driver” moments.

Which you will be frequently tempted to attempt. As equipped, my dark blue tester came with the optional (and aptly named) TrackPack. Swapping out the standard issue all seasons for summer-oriented Pirelli P Zero Nero tires in 255/40ZR-19 the TrackPack also features stiffer bushings, stiffer shocks, a strut tower brace, more aggressive brake pads, a shorter rear axle ratio (3.37; up from the standard 3.31), and bigger sway bars. It all adds up to the sharpest handling Mustang I can recall. Although still providing a perfectly comfortable ride, it significantly quickens the Mustang’s reactions to steering inputs. Although still about as communicable as deaf/mute gerbil, it weights up well and has absolutely no excess movement. Not surprisingly, it still understeers, but the Pirelli’s do their best to neutralize the Mustang’s propensity for plowing. Now reacting to fore and aft weight transfer, it’s actually possible to trail brake into a corner’s entry under control; something that wasn’t easily accomplished in the previous generations of Mustangs. Of course, flogging the gas pedal is and probably always will be the preferred method for inciting tail-out antics, but the newfound poise is definitely a step in the right direction towards turning the Mustang from musclecar to sports coupe.

And it also truly captures what the 2010 Mustang’s new holistic attitude. With too many of the previous Mustang’s you only ever got one thing; the 90’s SVT Cobras offered massive amounts of horsepower, the 80’s 5.0L-powered offerings were a fantastic drag racing platform, and the 70’s Mustang II provided balding, impotent men with gigantic metallic stickers of cobras to soothe the wounds of double digit horsepower figures. And while the 2005 was lauded for providing Mustang buyers with the most complete package since 1964, the 2010 offers more comfort and more performance without a single compromise. But the most amazing thing is how well the 2010 stacks up given its stop-gap nature. Destined to simply fill the gap between the 2009 and 2011 model years, the 2010’s suspension, architecture, and design will continue into 2011, with the 4.6L V8 being the sole victim of the yearly update. Being replaced with an all-new 5.0L producing nearly one hundred more horsepower supplemented by Brembo brakes, the 2011 model has been spotted lapping Michigan’s GingerMan raceway at a blistering pace; matching that of a 2010 BMW M3 brought along by Ford developers as a benchmark.

And all that with a live rear axle. Now that’s some engineering prowess.