Personalisation key to younger Mustang audience

FORD engineers say the gaming technology powering its customisable screen and new features like the electronic Drift Brake function are key to attracting younger buyers to its seventh-generation Mustang.

Shelby and Mustang brand manager Jim Owens told attendees of an enthusiast gathering recently that the Mustang buyer demographic is getting older, with the number of Baby Boomers shopping the car “isn’t substantially getting larger”.

“Mustang is a life-stage vehicle … there’s a time in your life where a Mustang just isn’t that practical for you. You come into it, then go to what you need for your life, then come back into a Mustang later,” he explained.

Aware of what might be described as a contracting buyer demographic, Mustang brand manager Joe Bellino said the introduction of youth-focused technologies meant Ford was able to appeal to a new audience without discouraging traditional buyers.

“Drift Brake was a big piece of it (attracting younger buyers), as was bringing customisation inside the car and letting customers change what they want,” he said.

“We offer over-the-air updates now, so you can change your screens to classic gauges and do different things like that. Just because you bought it one way, it doesn’t mean it will be the same Mustang you have in three months.

“It means each person has their own setup on their own car.”

Adding to Mr Bellino’s sentiments, Mustang chief program engineer and long-time enthusiast Laurie Transou said powerful 3D gaming technology allowed the engineering team to curate a design and technology combination that brought with it a range of Mustang-specific features.

“The Unreal Engine allowed us to offer more than just large screens, they’re curated for the customer … and have a lot of very Mustang-specific features,” she said.

“If you’re taking it on the track, there are multiple track applications, you can customise the colour, and there are some really cool animations and graphics you can pull up.

“Press the Pony,” she said in referencing the classic Mustang emblem on the central switch bank. “If you haven’t done it yet, press the Pony. That allows you to go into the full customisation centre where you can choose your own vehicle settings.

“It’s just another way we’re calling to the next generation of Mustang enthusiasts, to come and try a product – it’s a fresh, edgy design … and there are a lot of different ways to customise it.

“Add to that the entry price point of our EcoBoost model, and we think it’s a more affordable car that the younger generation can get into.”

Ford’s Drift Brake function is activated by an electronic park brake lever that resembles a traditional mechanical park brake.

It is said to offer beginners and experts an instantaneous locking of the rear wheels that makes a drift easier to initiate, with four to five times more clamping force than a traditional park brake.

The system may only be used in Track Mode and with the stability control system deactivated – meaning it is in no way intended for road use.

Add Drift Brake and customisable screens to Line Lock and Remote Rev functions (activated from the key fob) and its clear Ford is keen on drawing in a younger crowd.

Whether those buyers can afford to step up to a Mustang – which now retails from $66,900 plus on-road costs in its most basic form – is another issue entirely, and one we’ll be keen to observe as stock begins arriving in Aussie dealerships.