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Flirting with the sun while driving is not that commonplace in South Africa. But cars like the Mustang convertible are rekindling the top- down driving spirit. There is even more of an incentive to the purchase when one is not talking telephone number prices for one of these aspirational cars… and even more so if it happens to be an iconic cult car.
You know you have an established cult product when a generation of buyers who have yet to experience the car first-hand are queuing up to buy it.
Not many people would dole out wads of money for one of the most expensive purchases we make in our lives without testing it first. But this is what some Ford Mustang buyers have done. And when you delve into the car’s heritage, you understand better why this is the case.
There is no disputing that the Ford Mustang is a head-turner. Its cult status commands attention. Its iconic and aggressive styling and presence demand attention. There is so much history and hype to this muscle car that it’s nigh impossible to ignore.
Its status as a high-performance American muscle car has been further cemented by its many movie appearances. It was perhaps the movie classic Bullitt, which featured accomplished racing driver and movie heartthrob of the time Steve McQueen, that propelled the car into cult status. That was many decades ago, yet the fascination with this mythical pony car has never diminished.
Driving a Ford Mustang, especially the convertible variant, is a unique behind-the-wheel experience. It’s a bit like having permission to show off.
Turning heads, sharp intakes of breaths, wolf whistling, thumbs-up signs, hooting and pointing are just some of the reactions to this car on the road. It’s impossible for most to feign indifference.
South Africans have lined up to bag a piece of the myth and status that comes with owning a Mustang. One can understand why they might do that even if they have never been behind the wheel. And it starts with the car’s stand-out styling.
This is no cookie-cutter car. The muscular lines of this iconic two-door car, which include the long, aggressively sculpted hood, shark-bite grille, flared wheel arches and distinctive tri-bar tail lights guarantee a mesmerising and dominant stance. It’s a wicked-looking vehicle, no disputing that. And it pays homage to its predecessor that first rolled off the lines in America more than five decades ago by embracing much of that design DNA.
The short, sloping rear deck – a key design element – is a tad less sleek in the soft top, the roof line having slightly less slope than the Fastback sibling. But the positive aspect to this is that there is more headroom in the rear.
It’s even more eye-catching with the top down. It’s a doddle to open the roof, and quick. A mere turn of a handle, a press of a button and hey presto, less than 10 seconds later, open-top driving. But the car has to be stationary to activate the electric-powered soft top, which is somewhat inconvenient if you happen to be driving with the top down when it begins to rain.
A soft top takes up less boot space than a hard top, so while the open-top variant offers 60 litres less luggage capacity than the Fastback, what it does offer besides more headroom in the rear is more legroom, and is thus able to more comfortably seat two adults.
I’m a fan of the sporty, aviation-inspired cockpit. Besides looking really cool, it is less complicated and more intuitive than most. It may not have some features like lane departure warning, which is these days often synonymous with premium offerings, but make no mistake, it has an abundance of creature comforts including a host of connectivity and infotainment features, touch screen, rear camera, satnav, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry among them.
The ambient lighting in the cabin’s interior together with the illuminated Mustang door scuff plates play to the mythical atmosphere. What really tickles my fancy are the puddle lights that project the Mustang image from the side mirrors onto the ground. Not only does this feature reinforce the Mustang brand, it also has a practical use as an approach light when entering or exiting the car at night.
Seating can make or break the driving experience and the leather body-hugging, super-comfortable lumbar-adjusting seats get the stamp of approval, as does the seat heating and cooling feature.
Given the sweltering conditions there was little requirement for heating my rear during the week I was cruising the streets in this steed. Nonetheless I took one for the team and tested the heating feature on one of the “cooler” evenings. It works well and quickly. So does the seat-cooling feature that I was equally quick to test.
Top-down motoring is a breezy affair, but even so the car’s robust air conditioning is a welcome relief when the hot sun is beating down upon you.
Convertibles are often associated with more body flex. Though obviously not as stiff as the Fastback, the body feels quite taut; the ride composed even when road blemishes are served up. To the Mustang’s credit the suspension, though firm, produces a really comfortable ride for a car whose lineage is sport and performance.
This four-seater convertible is low and wide, its grippy ride aided by 19-inch wheels. It’s a firm, agile and planted drive, quite a bit different to its predecessors, which were mostly short on high-speed cornering ability.
Using the flappy paddles or playing with the effort-adjusted steering and ride modes can rev up the vibrancy of the ride, with sport mode providing a fair dollop of dynamism. For the track enthusiast, track mode allows for the flicking out of the tail end when pushing around corners, but it is a mode that deactivates traction control and should be used with circumspection on the roads.
Steering on this rear-wheel-drive beauty is sharp and true. But this is no small car and its wide girth means it was never going to have a brilliant turning circle. But this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem unless a fast getaway is on the cards. The upside is that there’s more time for everyone to get eyes on the car.
The Mustang’s low, sporty driving position adds to the dynamic driving experience, but for those short of stature the raised hood section may challenge optimal visibility.
This charger is equally at home on busy, urban roads and the open road. It’s an effortless and comfortable everyday cruiser.
Mustang purists may pooh-pooh a non-V8 variant and cross it off their shopping list. While I admit to missing the distinctive signature V8 growl of the GT variant, the 2.3 EcoBoost engine is highly efficient and very responsive. It’s no slouch, especially in sport mode, is so much fun to drive and still unmistakably Mustang.
There may be less brawn and more cult attached to the 2.3 litre engine variant, but just being behind the wheel of a Mustang, especially a convertible, makes you feel special.
It does after all have the visual presence, styling and heritage that make this car a head-turner. For a great many car enthusiasts, this steed is the definition of cool. I won’t argue that.
This is a shortened version of an article that originally appeared in the 17 November edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here.
