Sky Hye

Hey guys, racked up a few thousand miles on my track pack so I figure it's time to share my thoughts. I had a 2012 GT Premium with 3:73s and other cosmetic mods so I have a good reference point.

I'll go from hood to the tail.

Headlights: during the day the two LED light bars remain illuminated which looks neat and different compared to the Audi style led that everyone is copying. The new HIDs are great and illuminate the road very well. Better than my 12s aftermarket HIDs. I also love the new LED fogs. Instant on with no fade. They also illuminate very well and the color matches the HID closely. They compliment the headlights well. I don't drive with them on during the day when I have my headlights on, I feel during the day all the lights on give the grille a cluttered feel.

Wheels: I was not a big fan of brembo pack wheels but they are growing on me. They sure are a pain to clean, too many facets. The new racing pads create an excessive amount of dust. Between my 12 and 13 I do not feel much difference in regards to the bigger calipers until I really get on the pedal. The car still feels heavy while braking.

Tires: the brembo pack tires are excellent. They grip very well and I find myself taking turns a lot faster comfortably when compared to my 12 with normal tires. They are very sticky and fling a good amount of debris. Unfortunately they are summer only tires, and as one member on here found out, they are very slippery in wet conditions. The addition of GT500 mud flaps is a nice touch.

Suspension: Suspension is a good deal tighter and handling is improved as a result. As stated before, I can really push the car more and more around turns with minimal body roll. The ride is still very comfortable and not bone jarring like I expected. It is a nice balance between comfort and handling.

Front end: the new grille has grown on me, but I still prefer the 10-12 front end. It had less going on (less surface area to buff). IMO the 10-12 front end with a black billet grille ann a boss valence and splitter was the most beautiful thing I have seen from ford (My 12 had such a sexy front end.. I sure miss it!.). The hood louvers are very good looking and I love that I see them while driving. After long drives, I can see the hot air rising from them and I just get giddy. The hood insulation has a cutout in each side under the louvres which directs water away from the engine.

Engine: The engine feels just like my 12. It is snappy and very powerful. I cannot feel the extra 8 hp, nevertheless it is a beast and I love the power it has. With the Borla S type I have installed while going 50-60, dropping it into 3rd has the most intoxicating roar, it sounds much better to me than a whiny Ferrari V8 howl.

Dashboard: The new track apps are fun and not just a gimmick. They are functional, clean and very informative. I am not too fond of the gauges, the refresh rate is too slow.
The backup camera paired with reverse sensing pack is very useful and convenient. The shaker sounds a bit crisper, however, to be honest I have my radio off 90% of the time. I Iove my exhaust note too much to waste my time listening to radio

The electronics pack is very nice and I love it. Dual zone climate keeps my wifey happy. The maps are very helpful and I like that it can display incidents and traffic. I no longer have to fidget with my iPhone while drivng. I am very happy I decided to add the elec. pack. there are too many facets to the system so I wont go into that much detail, in short I love it. I pop in a good movie while waiting on my wife to shop (I also just want the piece of mind that nobody dings my doors in Parking lots)

Seats: The leather recaros are amazing. They hug so well, I can take turns much quicker and more comfortably now. The white piping is beautiful and the seats overall are very good looking. Every time I drive, I look over at my passenger seat and smile. I do not like the fact that the pass seat doesn't fold and tumble. I transport my puppies in their crates in the back seat a lot and it would have been a convenient feature.

Rear end: The differential is very good looking with its aluminum molded heat sink. The torsen diff makes a significant improvement when applying torque while turning. In all my other cars with lockers, the steering would severely under steer while applying torque and then instantly wobble when you release the torque. It is not a great experience, especially of you are not used to it. The torsen eliminates a of that. The 3:73s are neck snapping fast. First gear is very short, however I love shifting, so it's not an issue for me.

Color: Deep Impact Blue is a gorgeous color. after I detail her I just stand back and smile. Swirls and scratches are very apparent however, with proper care the car will look amazing, especially in the sun. I am constantly being complimented on the color.

Taillights: the new taillights are gorgeous. I am envious of people behind me when I change lanes. Evaluate they get to w not my lights. The plastic is very scratch prone and everybody loves touching them.

Rear End : the rear end is very beautiful. I love it very much. Know not everyone likes it, however I think it's perfect.

Trunk lid: I ordered backup cam so the spoiler is much larger. I love it. Also one unmentioned change is the hinge system for the trunk lid. It is simpler and there is a cleaner and more compact hinge. My 12 had 2 large ugly and obtrusive brackets which would interfere with things in my trunk a lot of times. This new system eliminates that bracket and now you can pack the trunk much more.

Exhaust: the stock exhaust is a POS. Too quiet. The instnt I got it home from the dealer, I swapped in my borla s-types. They sound amazing. Not as raspy as roush and much more exhilarating. I get smiles, comments and thumbs up many times daily along my commute.

Cool factor: this car gets a lot of attention. Kids, women, men. people constantly comment and talk to me about the car. Even camaro owners pull aside me and compliment the car.

Conclusion: I absolutely love this car. Every aspect of it to me is wonderful. I often go into the garage and stare at it. When I haven't drive it for a few days I start it up and listen to that roar then shut it off and sit inside and watch a movie or scroll thru xm radio. I am in my zen zone.

The car revives a great amount of attention. People always smile and give me thumbs up. Makes me proud and happy. The handling is superb and suspension it tight and snappy. The cockpit is superb and I am very happy when I am there. Even traffic becomes an enjoying event.

Thank you for reading and please look forward to updates. This is enough for now for 12:45 and on my iPhone.

Some pix:

Twin Turbo

Good write up, gorgeous car.

With regards the Recaros, do you mean the passenger side backrest doesn't tip forward to allow rear passengers to get in?

FromZto5

Great review sky. Love your honest opinions. When an owner has a love and bond for their cars that truly makes them seem as one, it's a beautiful thing. Congrats again on the ride. Love your pics too.

Edit: now go deswirl and buff that thing! You know me and detailing

Sky Hye

Thanks so much Paul! Well, it does tilt forward. when you pull the lever up behind the passenger seat, it does not automatically slide forward like in the non recaros. You have to do that manually. So it's a bit difficult sometimes. It's truly is a first world problem lol.

Sky Hye

Thanks so much brother! Ohh I'm there with you, spent 8 hours last week detailing her. This week, when I got home, my moms dog stood up against the driver side door and slid down swirled the heck out of it. I'll buff it out this week. Otherwise she's swirl free!!

Btw, don't get the 3M scotchguard clear bra, it has orange peel and yellows. Id suggest the Ventureshield or xpel products.

SpiderX1016

Seems like your keeping the Borlas? I went with Roush instead.

Great review btw. Pretty spot on.
When I'm just driving along and I look at the pass. seat, I just see it shaking. Makes me laugh everytime.

Sky Hye

Thanks. Yea they have grown on me. I dropped into 4th while in a tunnel on the highway and it sounded like the earth was shattering behind me, it was then I knew I will be keeping them. How you liking your roush? Loud as heck huh?

wanted33

Shant, I couldn't agree more. We came from the 2010 4.6L GT. Even with that I didn't expect much difference. WRONG.........completely different. Glad your enjoying yours. I'm sure you shed a tear after the doggie incident.

mustangmaniak2010

Now this is what i call a proper Thread! Great write up and the photos are top notch! Big thumbs up for you sir.

SpiderX1016

They're amazing. They're very, very loud when you step on it and at cruise it's not much louder than stock. You have to raise your voice to talk to people but I usually don't carry people anyway.
heh, I do the same thing under every freeway overpass. Love dropping it into 2nd and giving it a blast through.

I think the Borla S-Types sound better though but I couldn't justify that price tag.

Mustang Mafia

Great review. 2012 gt owner here and I am so envious of your hid's. It almost makes me want to trade because the halogens are horrible! They shine everything but the road. I love my car except for the headlights.

the_bottomless_pit

I just put my roush's on last friday, still a bit undecided on how I feel about them...they are loud as heck and sound awesome outside the car, but a bit too raspy in the cockpit for my taste I think. I wanted to make sure I get used to it and drive for a while to make sure Im not just being too nit picky.

Also, I couldn't be happier with my car as well. The DIB looks amazing and I love every thing about how the car handles, the power, the recaros. Ford really knocked it out of the park with these new mustangs.

Sky Hye

Pit, they mellow out a bit after a few thousand miles.

Hytek

Good review!

Scott Davis

Very nicely spec'd car!

CCTking

Great write up! I love the way the new 13's look. The front end hasnt quite grown on me yet, at least not all colors. Black, DIB, and white are the only colors that work. But white with the 12 front end is just gorgeous. Im really stuck on trading up for a 13-14 gt or waiting it out for the 15's.

Beautiful car man! Cant wait to see other mods (if any) goin on the car(:

Sky Hye

Thanks guys! CCT, I probably won't mod for a while, after paying for the car my savings is a bit depleted lol. The only thing I'm debating is white stripes.

the_bottomless_pit

thanks, i think im being criical bc the sound is so loud (which is awesome, just a bit different from what i expected) definitely need to just give it some time and let them settle.

BackinBlack13

Nice review!

eric n

Don't know if I like Deep Impact as much as Kona, but it's close. I love the new hood and the Recaro's are A-FREAKIN'-MAZIN'. Enjoy!