You can hear it coming long before you see it. But it is so visual, you also remember it long after it’s passed. However, that’s not enough for Ford and its iconic Mustang. First released in 1964, the ultimate muscle-car brand and its design are now 55 years old, posing a massive challenge to keep a positively ancient product up with the times.
The latest edition, released globally last year and launched in South Africa this month, achieved this with a twist that pays homage to another iconic brand in popular culture: Star Wars.
But not just any Star Wars image: they selected the meanest, most evil face of the epic tale: no less than the dark side of the universe, Darth Vader.
Said Ford Motor Company design manager Melvin Betancourt: “When we were designing the new 2018 Mustang, the team wanted to make the new model look more aggressive, and one place where we found inspiration was one of the most famous screenplay villains of all time.
“The angled nostrils and contours of Darth Vader’s mask became the inspiration for the Mustang’s new fog lamp scoops and front-end shape.”
Compare the faces of Vader and the new Mustang, and it’s not hard to spot the inspiration. It’s also not hard to decide with which one you’d prefer to share a ride.
It is quite appropriate that the new Ford Mustang takes its design inspiration from a futuristic franchise. The car has also been remodelled to take advantage of the latest technology available to cars, along with the kind of sleek design language that goes with more streamlined and aerodynamic vehicles.
Automated driver assistance may seem an offense to the sheer driving experience of a sports car that seems to pride itself on a harsh ride. Conversely, though, allowing the car to take greater control of safety also allows the driver to give more attention to the experience of driving.
Click here to read about the advanced features of the new Mustang.
The new Mustang includes a number of advanced features that other high-end vehicles have embraced on the road to a self-driving future, and a few that are unique to the Mustang:
- Adaptive Cruise Control and Distance Alert: helps drivers maintain an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead. When that vehicle slows down, so does the Mustang, if it gets closer than a safe following distance.
- Pre-Collision Assist and Pedestrian Detection: designed to reduce the severity of frontal collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians. In some cases, it can even prevent such collisions, partly through sounding an alarm when a potential impact is detected.
- Lane-Keeping Aid, applies torque – car-speak for additional force – to the steering wheel to steer the vehicle back into its lane.
- Lane Departure Warning, warns drivers when they unintentionally drift out of lane – detected when the car crosses a lane divider without the driver signalling intention to do so.
- Real-time adaptive shift-scheduling, allows the transmission to adapt to changing conditions and select the right gear in any situation. Steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifters also give drivers more physical control.
- Active Valve Performance Exhaust technology, allows drivers to adjust the intensity of the Mustang’s exhaust note to suit their mood and the driving scenario. It also reveals the Mustang designers’ sense of humour: they have introduced a “Good Neighbour Mode” that can be programmed to limit the exhaust noise at set times of day to avoid disturbing neighbours.
The infotainment and dashboard screens include a customisable, digital, 12-inch LCD instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. The cluster configuration automatically changes depending on current Drive Mode, and can be set to display a range of gauges in any of seven colours.
An 8-inch touch-screen in the centre of the console features Ford’s SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system, which offers smartphone connectivity, navigation, climate control and voice commands. It connects to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on handsets, giving drivers or passengers access to Siri and Google Assistant via the car.
Technology enhancements even extend to the instantly recognisable three-dimensional tri-bar tail lights: they now feature LED technology, as do the headlights, daytime running lights, and indicators. The front headlight bezels also take their inspiration from Star Wars: they have also been restyled to reflect the trapezoidal shape of the upper grille.
In other words, one could say, Darth Vader has come over to the light.
* Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on @art2gee
Click here to read about how the Mustang pays homage to pop culture, and to read about its availability.
In one of its models, Ford also paid homage to another popular culture legend: the 1968 movie Bullitt, which featured a car chase scene still regarded today as the most influential in film. The Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in the movie has been reimagined, and launched in two unique colours, which Ford calls Dark Highland Green and Shadow Black.
And yes, the Bullit Mustang has also been updated, with a modern infotainment system and various feature enhancements. At the same time, though, it is the only Mustang with a manual gearbox, featuring a six-speed transmission aimed at “a more engaging driving experience”. Only 50 units of this special edition are available in South Africa – appropriately for the 50th anniversary of the movie.
Mustang model availability
The new Ford Mustang is available in Fastback and Convertible body styles, with a choice of 2.3 EcoBoost and 5.0 V8 engines, along with Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission. And none enters the million-rand league of so-called super cars. Recommended retail prices are:
Mustang 2.3 Fastback 10AT R768 000
Mustang 2.3 Convertible 10AT R831 000
Mustang 5.0 GT Fastback 10AT R915 800
Mustang 5.0 GT Convertible 10AT R978 400
Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8 GT Fastback 6MT R995 400
All models come standard with Ford Protect, a four-year/120 000km warranty, three-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty. A six-year/90 000km service plan is also on offer.
“The passion for Mustang is stronger than ever, proven by this legendary model’s unrivalled dominance of the sports car segment globally, which has made it one of the most iconic sights on local roads since it first went on sale in South Africa in 2016,” says Doreen Mashinini, general manager for marketing at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.
“There are few cars that deliver such a combination of heritage, style and performance to such a wide audience, and the New Ford Mustang offers the most compelling package yet.”