The S550 Ford Mustang is taking the automotive legend into the future, not only in the U.S. and new markets around the world, but in terms of technology. However, the 2015 Mustang GT Premium I tested didn’t alienate fans of the car’s previous generations.
Its looks were a hit with everyone to whom I showed the car. My father, the owner of 1964 1/2 and 1965 Mustang convertibles, was one of those people. He loved the 5.0’s mixture of bold lines and sexy curves. The shapely and voluptuous rear end caused my eyes to linger. Ford’s fresh take on the Mustang’s signature three-bar tail lights looked lean and conceptual.
The interior’s Redline leather seats gave the Magnetic Metallic 5.0 a nice pop of contrasting color. Although the Mustang is 51 years old, my media tester’s interior certainly felt modern. It came with features such as heated and cooled front seats, SYNC with MyFord Touch, Adaptive Cruise Control, and voice-activated navigation.
My press loaner’s cockpit wasn’t beyond criticism, though. One of the big, user-friendly knobs for the radio’s volume and tuning controls should’ve also been used for changing the HVAC system’s fan speed, not its small rocker switch. The $1,795 390-watt, 12-speaker Shaker Pro audio system seemed a little low on bass, too.
The 435-horsepower/400-lb.-ft. 5.0-liter V8 under the vented hood was plenty powerful, though. It felt even livelier when I selected the GT’s Sport+ drive mode, one of four available (normal, snow/wet, and track are the other ones). Doing that transformed a throaty badass cruiser into a redder-blooded, neck-snapping mecha-monster.
My pals Wayne and Natalie, the previous owners of a tuned 2003 Mach 1, got to experience the 5.0’s rush on our way out to the bluebonnet-carpeted Wildseed Farms of Fredericksburg, Texas. After our day trip, in which the backs of our heads became very familiar with our head rests, I dropped my friends off at home with sore necks and minds full of thoughts about how thrilling and attractive the 2015 Mustang GT is.
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.
