A lot has changed in the past 50 years: world leaders, currencies, celebrities, bread prices and, of course, the Ford Mustang. Since the days of LBJ’s administration, the iconic pony car has hit the highs of record sales and undeniable cultural relevance and the lows of performance-strangling emissions regulations and anemic power trains. Five decades of experience, development and refinement have lead to the 2015 Ford Mustang. The car’s chief engineer, Dave Pericak, and Automobile do a fine job of summing up its highlights:
– An all-new platform. (The 107-inch wheelbase is the same length as the 2014 model’s)
– Independent rear suspension! That means higher performance and a smoother ride than that from the old live rear axle. The front set-up has also been altered to be compatible with the rear’s abilities.
– Pericak says he and his team are going to beat the last-generation Boss 302 on the track with the new ‘stang.
– The 305-horsepower V6 is a carryover, but the Boss-influenced 5.0-liter V8 now features better airflow, which equates to “420-plus” horsepower, more torque and better fuel economy.
– A new 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine packs a twin-scroll turbocharger, a steel crankshaft and high-flow injectors. Torque will build quickly and spread across a wide range. Pericak calls the mill the “I-want-it-all solution” for buyers looking for performance, gas mileage, technology and environmental responsibility.
– An available EcoBoost performance package will include an upgraded axle and brakes, suspension mods and summer-only rubber.
Of course, you’ll have to wait until later this year to get your hands on (and your right foot into) the 2015 Mustang. Are you going to be the first one at your local Ford dealer to test-drive it?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
