Ford Introduces Performance Pack 2 Handling Package for 2018 Mustang GT
Aero tweaks and stickier tires lead to an even better performing sports car.
When engineering a car, there are many factors at play. The designers have certain goals, while the engineers might have other goals. Then there are regulatory hurdles, bean counters, and marketing. It’s not often some folks get to build their dream car and put it into production.
The Performance Pack 2 for the 2018 Mustang is one of those rare engineering dreams. Ford’s engineers worked on the project in the evenings and on weekends to see how much grip they could get out of the current generation Mustang. They set goals like being able to match the on-track performance of the Boss 302 Laguna Seca.
The results are subtle but impressive. A new front splitter extends from the front, and a little lip spoiler sits on the rear deck. While they might not look like much, they add serious amounts of downforce. The front lip alone adds 24 pounds of downforce.
Once they increased the aerodynamic grip, they needed to increase the mechanical grip. Wide wheels and tires were added. Up front the new wheels are 10.5 inches wide, and in the rear they’re 11 inches. They wear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and have been known to grip for days. You’d have to work hard to ruin a Cars and Coffee with this much grip.
Additional changes come to the standard MagneRide magnetorheological ride control dampers. They’re specially tuned for the Performance Pack 2 for maximum performance. The brakes remain stock, but we’re assured that the stock Performance Pack brakes can handle a 40 minute lapping session without boiling the fluid.
Buyers of the Performance Pack 2 are required to have the 5.0L V8, and a 6-speed manual transmission. Again, this is a car the engineers want to drive, so even if the 10-speed automatic is better, it’s not how they’d build their dream Mustang. Bless them for that decision!
On a normal Mustang GT, the standard performance package adds just under $4,000 to the price of the car, and doesn’t include MagneRide. The Performance Pack 2 should retail around $6,000 and includes the dampers. If you add that cost to the additional cost of the tires you have a bit of a bargain with Performance Pack 2.
If it’s a car you’re interested in, you can order yours now and they’ll be produced starting in the spring.
