First look: Mustang goes back to its roots

FORD has gone back to its styling roots for the latest generation Mustang, revealing a car that Steve ‘Bullitt’ McQueen would recognise.

The 2005 Mustang, launched at this week’s Detroit auto show as the star of Ford’s ‘year of the car’ product onslaught, is the first all-new ’Stang since 1979.

But more significantly, it pays plenty of homeage to the original and best loved sports coupe launched in 1964 and the update that followed in 1967 - the version McQueen thrashed through the streets of San Francisco in 1968.

There’s that familiar long-deck, short-rear shape, with styling details including three-piece tail-lights, C-shaped side scoops, circular headlights and a forward-angled nose emblazoned in the centre with the galloping horse badge.

"We weren’t just redesigning a car, we were adding another chapter to an epic," said J Mays, Ford group vice president, design.

"The new Mustang’s modern design speaks to its technical advancement – without losing the classic Mustang bad-boy image."Following on from the Mustang coupe concept that was shown at Detroit 12 months ago, the production version is expected on sale in the USA in the northern summer of 2005.

The convertible version, which was also previewed last year, was not shown in production form this time round.

For all its style, the Mustang remains a pretty orthodox car mechanically, true to its traditional role of delivering accessible sports performance to the masses.

A 4.0-litre single overhead camshaft V6 will kick the range off with pricing tipped to start under $US20,000. The engine, which replaces a pushrod 3.8-litre V6, delivers 151kW and 319Nm of torque.

More impressive is the 4.6-litre V8 GT version which, with its double overhead camshafts and three-valve head, produces 224kW and 427Nm. Ford says the GT’s pricing will be the most affordable in-class.

Included amongst GT's competition will be the Aussie-built Pontiac GTO (based on the Holden Monaro).

Both engines mate standard to different Tremec five-speed manual gearboxes, with a five-speed auto optional. There’s also electronic throttle control and faster engine management controls to assist in the delivery of power and torque.

Underpinning all this is a new platform based on the design used by the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type, but with MacPherson strut front suspension allied to a three-link rear axle with Panhard rod.

Ford says it stuck with the solid rear axle because "it is robust, maintains constant track, toe-in and camber relative to the road surface, and it keeps bodyroll well under control".

The Mustang has disc brakes all-round, with Ford claiming the biggest rotors and stiffest callipers ever fitted to a Mustang. Both ABS and switchable traction control are available.

Ford has put a lot of effort into the interior as well – previously a criticism of the Mustang.

There are a variety of choices available, including a claimed "industry-first" colour-configurable instrument panel so drivers can can mix and match lighting at the touch of a button to create more than 125 different colour backgrounds "to suit their personality, mood, outfit or whim".

Other striking aspects include optional aluminium panels spanning the dashboard, prominent dual chrome-ringed gauges and an optional "Interior Colour Accent Package" – charcoal with red leather seats, red door inserts and red floor mats.

Standard equipment includes one-touch up/down power windows, power mirrors, keyless entry and power locks, a heated rear window, variable intermittent wipers and dual-stage airbags for driver and passenger. Audio systems range from the standard CD player on base models to a 1000-watt Shaker Audiophile system.

* At this stage there appears no plan for Ford or FPV to import the latest Mustang for local sale. The current generation was imported and converted to right-hand drive by FPV's predecessor, Tickford, between October 2000 and July 2002. Four hundred were sold.