Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang Created a whole class of cars, the pony car, a coupe that looked and performed like a sports car. Although it has been imitated by virtually every manufacturer the Mustang remains the ultimate in it's class. The Mustang is Ford's most successful model since the Model A in the 1920's and it is unlikely that this is going to change any time soon. Through all of Ford's recent difficulties the one thing that didn't change was the Mustang. The Mustang may have been redesigned several times along the way but the basic idea of the car has always remained the same.
The Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964 and has remained in production ever since, although obviously with significant changes along the way. The current Mustang is the fifth generation of the design. The current generation Mustang was introduced in 2005 and was a complete redesign of the car. The Mustang was restyled to be reminiscent of the 1960's Mustang, with a short rear deck and a long hood. The Mustang has been one of Ford's most popular models since the day it was introduced and this has continued with the current generation of Mustang.
The 2011 Mustang features an engine upgrade over the previous models. The new V6 engine is actually smaller at 3.7 litres but it is also more powerful as it produces 305 horsepower, a significant upgrade from the 210 horsepower of the previous engine. The new engine is also considerably lighter than the old one which helps to improve fuel mileage. The Mustang GT comes with a 5.0 litre V8 Coyote engine that produces 412 horsepower. The new Mustang also replaces the old five speed transmission with a six speed version that is available in both manual and automatic. An interesting feature on the new Mustang is the electronic power assist steering, which provides power steering electronically rather than through belts. The idea here is that power that would normally be diverted from the drive train to assist with steering no longer needs to be.
There are a number of other features included on the Mustang like traction and stability control systems. Also included are dual zone climate control, a reverse camera system, a capless fuel filler and an updated navigation system. There is also the option of getting a glass roof, this is basically just a big sunroof that covers the whole width of the car. The cost of the glass roof falls in between the price of a convertible and a full roof.
The Mustang has all of the safety features that one would expect in a modern car, anti-lock brakes, crumple zones and airbags. However it does not come with a collision avoidance system, that is becoming standard in most cars. The Mustang has performed well in crash testing however the convertible option will naturally be vulnerable in any roll over type accident.