2012 Ford Mustang

2012 Ford Mustang

On one hand, the 2012 Ford Mustang is a capable, even subtle coupe or convertible with a huge vary of skills, including thirty one-mpg highway fuel economy. On the other hand, it's a tire-smoking pony car rechristened last year with new powertrains and given a jolt of throwback goodness for this model year with the come of the Boss.

Mostly on the strength of the GT, the new Boss and the returning Shelby GT500, we're giving the Mustang a solid eight out of ten for its performance strengths, and even for its upscale luxury and tech features.

Last year, Ford brought back the "5.zero" Mustang, with that displacement netting it 412 horsepower in the Mustang GT. Base models gained a brand new company 3.7-liter V-six with 305 horsepower. The GT is our clear winner: it is a torque-happy engine with smart throttle response and a sharp perspective, something the recent modular V-eight strained to deliver even while it turned out decently competitive numbers.

The 201one updates conjointly brought a group of upgraded brakes, some tighter suspension tuning and a switchover to electrical power steering, which Ford's rendering regarding furthermore any manufacturer. It's part of the Mustang's evolving personality--quicker on its heels, defter to the bit.

The convertible choice makes the Mustang an especially appealing muscle car. It opens its cloth top quickly and tucks it out of sight, whereas it conjointly leaves the 'Stang liable to a very little more body flex than you may notice on smaller two-seat convertibles. And Ford's learned the lessons of Scion, opening up the order sheet to custom-fitted Mustangs with all sorts of wheel-and-tire packages, decals, scoops and interior treatments. There's even SYNC Bluetooth management for infotainment and navigation, and Sony stereo systems.

Those necessities aside, today's Mustang counts two instant classics in its lineup, within the Shelby GT500 and Boss editions. Last year the Shelby came with its usual carousel of law-sidestepping add-ons,for a total of 550 horsepower, a 15/twenty three mpg EPA rating that bypasses gas-guzzler taxes, and the same electrical street performance you sketch out mentally in sync with the Shelby name.

The Boss is a totally different story, with virtually the identical 0-sixty mph results. With the new engine and no forced induction, Ford lifts the new 5.zero-liter V-eight to a euphoric 444 horsepower, channeling it through a beefy manual shifter back to the rear wheels and a track-bred suspension. The Shelby's the outrageous flagship, however the Boss is the privateer's dream--all the way down to the TracKey that upconverts its throttle for faster responses, and to the Laguna Seca edition that drops out the rear seats and shaves pounds where it can for ultimate normally-aspirated performance.

There's thus much more to drill through in-depth, you may want to steer to our first drives of the foremost recent Mustang Shelby GT50zero and our take on the 2012 Boss 302. We have a tendency to'll update this when Ford releases the remainder of its Mustang data for the new year, but the GT's coated in TheCarConnection's 201one Ford Mustang full review.

2012 Ford Mustang 

2012 Ford Mustang 

2012 Ford Mustang 

2012 Ford Mustang 

2012 Ford Mustang 

2012 Ford Mustang 

2012 Ford Mustang