The Mustang GT is poetry in motion, only if words had muscles. Unlike most sportscars that generally sport sharp noses and shapely fenders, Ford’s pony car exhibits uncanny exterior features, including a flat front, a bulbous hood, and bulging fenders.
Ford makes no effort to disguise the GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8, which, like the marque’s EcoBoost, is a multi-awarded engine because of its design, technology, and power output (493-PS and 567-Nm of torque). It has a dome-like hood with vents, and the façade has a wide grille with the legendary shiny Mustang logo for optimal cooling.
Despite its muscular form noticeable from the front, designers cleverly hid its heft when viewed from the side using its sleek fastback form. Here is where you’ll notice its road-hugging stance emphasized by 255/40 tires on 19-inch wheels, a front lip spoiler, and side skirts. Other functional yet stylish features include its tri-bar LED headlights (with daytime running lamps), LED taillights with amber sequential turn signals, a fin antenna, a spoiler-type trunk lid, a rear diffuser, and dual exhausts.
No exaggeration; it is a breathtaking look from any angle, especially with the Yellow Splash color, which is exclusive to the GT. It is unapologetically loud, screaming ‘I’m pretty and powerful,’ to anyone who sees it and deservingly so. While I have no qualms about its overall appearance, a nose job (to make it slimmer) wouldn’t be a bad idea, and the rear glass could be smaller so rear passengers don’t bake under the sun during the ride.
Approaching the Mustang GT is always a treat and never gets old because of the Mustang logo projected to the ground from the bottom of the side mirrors. It adds massive style points to the sportscar while making it more accessible at night or in dark parking garages.
The all-black cabin contributes to the right driver ambiance. It helps create a tunnel vision-like effect to minimize distraction amid the tech features and irresistible visual/audial pheromones released by the Mustang GT.
Despite the Recaro leather seat’s low hip point, the convex shape of the hood was not an obstruction. I didn’t have to overly increase seat height or crane my neck to manage tight turns around high curbs. Bolsters make the seats highly snug, which is good if you’re on the track, but it feels a little tight for a daily drive. As expected, there aren’t enough storage spaces, and the rear can only seat two, with ingress and egress becoming a four-man job.
Behind the leather, flat-bottom multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifters is the most eye-catching cabin feature — a vivid 12-inch digital instrument cluster side-by-side with a 13-inch magnesium framed center touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and runs on Ford’s SYNC 4 operating system. Together, it looks like one massive curved screen. Audio goes to a B&O sound system with 12 speakers, including a subwoofer. The infotainment screen is mesmerizing, and CarPlay gets better in expanded mode. The graphic user interface takes a little getting used to, and even after four days with the car, I still don’t get its menu system. Other standard features include a dual-zone climate control system, ambient lighting, and a wireless charger.
The 10-speed automatic transmission has a stick shifter built with form in mind, not function. The shift lock is in front of the round knob, which isn’t very ergonomic. Placing it on the side would be better so it’s more accessible to the thumb.
Flooring the pedal made the rear wiggle slightly because of the rear-wheel-drive layout with a limited-slip differential. Officially, it goes from 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, but it felt much faster than that for me. If you’re not careful, you’ll hit a law-breaking speed of 140 km/h in under 10 seconds.
Aside from the drive modes (Normal, Sport, Slippery, Track, Drag Strip, Custom), exhaust notes and steering feedback can be tweaked via a touch of the Mustang button on the center stack. Sport offers the best performance and the throatiest engine notes but could violate noise ordinances or trigger car alarms (the latter happened to me in a parking garage).
Handling is enhanced by its low center of gravity, tire traction, and mechanical grip. The result is astounding cornering capability even while accelerating. The trade-off is a stiff ride; your body will feel it after getting stuck in a two-hour jam (true story).
The gearbox worked just fine, but there are a million horror stories about Ford’s admittedly problematic 10-speed, so consider that. Ford offers the Mustang GT with the six-speed Getrag manual transmission, but not in the Philippines.
At P3.999 million, the Mustang GT is a great deal. Why? It undercuts competitors by 500k to a million while offering more horsepower and torque. That is a no-brainer if you’re in the market for a sportscar. Sure, a few have more power, but their prices are more than double those of the Mustang GT.
If you want to feel the effect of American muscle on a sportscar, the smart, practical, and (more affordable) choice is the Ford Mustang GT.