Call it a Top Gun hangover but there is no way you can get someone to feel the ultimate meaning of speed than get him on board a fighter jet.
With that probably in mind, the designers of the all-new Mustang created what could be the coolest feature of the iconic sports car that was launched on Wednesday in Detroit, Michigan: it has a cockpit inspired by a fighter jet.
Aren’t Maverick and his devil-may-care Top Gun pilots still in our senses?
The seventh chapter of the storied American pony car flaunted as the most powerful Mustang ever with a V8 engine and 480 horsepower gives you the feel of a pilot on the wheel with unique features that include a 13.2-inch display that forms part of a large curved screen extending over the center stack area. It also boasts a segment-first electronic drift brake and a new Remote Rev feature that provides the ability to rev the car’s engine remotely using just the key fob.
“We knew what customers wanted and designed the most digital Mustang ever while retaining the all-important driver-focused cockpit,” said Ricardo Garcia, Ford interior design manager. “Removing some of these physical buttons, such as radio and climate control, and integrating them into a digital display was popular in research with Millennials, Gen-Z and traditional Mustang drivers alike.”
There will be a 5.0-liter V-8 and an updated turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost choice of engines available either on a six-speed manual and 10-speed automatic for the Mustang’s hardtop coupe and soft top convertible bodystyles.
“This is the most athletic and confidence-inspiring Mustang EcoBoost and GT to drive yet,” said Ed Krenz, Ford Mustang chief nameplate engineer. “Whether driving an automatic or manual transmission, thanks to drive modes combined with fine-tuned digital engine, suspension and steering controls, we’re now able to give drivers peak performance everywhere, from their favorite roads to their local track.”
To top it all, Ford also unboxed during launch night a performance series racing car with 500 horsepower called Mustang Darkhorse that sent the speed fanatics among its legions of followers roaring in approval.
Ford threw a grand welcome for the all-new Mustang at a makeshift amphitheater, a short distance away from the venue of the Detroit Auto Show where it will be displayed in the coming weeks.
The big welcome aptly called the Stampede created a party-like atmosphere with hundreds of Mustang owners all over America in attendance, showing off their prized possessions on the roads leading to the launch venue.
The all-new Mustang goes on sale in the US starting in the summer of 2023 and is assembled at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.
