Coyotes and ponies, oh my! This week, we ride the 2024 Mustang GT

The original little pony car has grown up and gotten all sophisticated!

Over the past 60 years, the Ford Mustang has gone from a 1,109 kg weakling to an 1,825-kg muscle car.

The first Mustang V8, shared with the Ford Falcon, displaced 4.3 litres and produced 164-horsepower. The seventh-generation Mustang, reported on here, had the latest version of Ford’s sophisticated Coyote V8. It belts out 486 horsepower from 5.0 -litres.

The base engine in that first Mustang was a 105-horsepower 2.8-litre straight six-cylinder. The entry point for the 2024 Mustang is a turbocharged 2.3-litre four, producing 315-horsepower.

Further comparison between old and new, shows the wheelbase has remained almost the same over six decades at 2,731-mm for the original and 2,717 for the current ‘Stang.

Overall length has grown slightly from 4,613 to 4,810 mm (less than 8 inches in old speak). The big change is weight. The current Pony tips the scales at 1,825 kg, a big leap (1,575 pounds) from that puny 1,109 kg original.

That additional weight is readily identified – a huge array of passive and active safety features and the resulting vastly superior crashworthiness.

The new Mustang is also crammed with a raft of luxury features and technology that had not yet been thought of sixty years ago. Not to worry – every horse under the hood of that first V8 Mustang had to cope with 6.7 pounds of vehicle. The latest cuts that almost in half, to 3.7 pounds per pony, with a resulting HUGE leap in performance.

An interesting tidbit when looking back over the Mustang’s history – the very first one, serial number 001 was sold on April 14, 1964 at George Parsons Ford in St. John’s Newfoundland!

Everything from style, lighting and mechanicals to technology and efficiency has been transformed in the 2024 Ford Mustang.

Four-wheel disc brakes and fat performance tires wrapped around 19-inch alloy wheels erase speed with ease compared to the task faced by the drum brakes and skinny 14-inch bias play tires back then. The difference is even more dramatic thanks to the Brembo brake system on the test vehicle.

The fourth-generation Coyote V8 is a sophisticated beast. Quiet and smooth as silk. Until pressed. Hang on when you depress the loud pedal – literally LOUD thanks to the raucous $1,496 Active Valve Exhaust system!

That less restrictive exhaust results in an extra six horsepower, a whole whack of decibels and the sound of an American muscle car. Thus equipped, the tester blasted from rest to 100 km/hr in less than five seconds!

Twice as many gears as the original

The current Mustang V8 comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission – twice as many gears as the original. Opt for the automatic in the current model and you get 10-speeds – not only a long way from the three-speeds of the original Cruise-O-Matic – but precisely controlled by a powerful computer. The result is superior performance and better fuel economy than the manual box.

The modern Mustang is available in coupe and convertible formats. There are some minor upgrades for the 2024 model year, including most exterior panels and an all-new interior.

The interior of the 2024 Mustang is a pretty decent place to hang out, especially in upper trim levels. The seats are super-supportive, keeping you in place should you decide to sample the car’s performance envelope.

The 31-cm configurable driver information display provides several drive modes and allows you to customize the gauges to look like those of older Mustangs.  The 33-cm infotainment screen utilizes Ford’s Sync 4 software. The software can be updated over the air. You can use your voice and Amazon Alexa instead of knobs or buttons for a variety of activities. Imagine doing that in 1964!

Also, could you have imagined back then that your Mustang’s cruise control would automatically maintain the gap to the vehicle ahead, that it would help you from wandering from your lane?

The Mustang is easily the most popular fun/sports/pony car of all time. The one-millionth was sold within two years of its introduction. The 10 millionth in 2018. This latest version can only enhance a reputation that started 60 years ago.

FACTS & FIGURES – 2024 Ford Mustang GT convertible Premium

PRICE

Base: $60,200

As tested: $70,690 including freight

INFOTAINMENT

Satellite radio, 12-speaker B&O audio system, two USB smart charging ports, FordPass Connect with 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, 33-cm center stack touchscreen

SAFETY

Automatic LED projector headlights, automatic dimming mirrors, reverse sensing system, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, 25-cm infotainment screen, lane keeping system, rear park sensors, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

Power heated mirrors, leather heated and cooled power front seats, dual zone automatic climate control, 19-inch wheels wrapped in summer performance tires, tilt/telescope steering wheel, push button start, heated steering wheel

OPTIONS

Equipment Group 401A, (Premium trim with colour accents, Ford Co-Pilot assist, voice-activated navigation) 3:55 limited slip rear axle ratio, $500; bronze appearance package, $1,300; premium floor mats, $250; active valve exhaust, $1,495; 10-speed automatic transmission, $1,750; universal garage door opener

MECHANICAL

5.0-litre V8, 486-horsepower, 418 lb. ft. of torque, premium fuel, 10-speed automatic transmission, NRCan rating (litres/100km city/highway):15.8/9.8

DIMENSIONS

Length, 4,810-mm; width, 1,915-mm; wheelbase, 2,717-mm, weight, 1,825-kg

COMPETITION

Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Charger