All Torque

Wild Horse

Recently I visited the USA. Detroit City to be more precise. Home of the big three, Ford, GM and Chrysler. It was, for me a time of rest and an assignment for The Car Enthusiast was the last thing on my mind. Well that was the intention until I stepped off the plane. Who was I trying to fool? Motor City is where it all happens in the car world. It is easy to see why the city gets this alias. The car is king. The type of car one drives tells everything about the driver. It's more of a status symbol than an item of convenience. The good thing is that everybody loves the car. This is something we are no longer able to do in the UK because of the government's anti-car policy. It is hard to believe that bottled mineral water is more expensive in the US than petrol or should I say 'gas'.

The face of the American car has changed dramatically in recent years. Out on the roads there are many really stylish cars. Gone are the barges more associated with episodes of Kojak. Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are most common. Legendary names such as Trans Am, Mustang and Firebird still live on. The cars bearing such names carry with them heritage and memories of the muscle car era. I was curious to know if today's cars still had traces of the flamboyant character that was once their trademark.

Truth was I did not have to wait long. It was a Tuesday afternoon with Detroit enjoying sunny autumn weather. I was sitting waiting for some friends in a bar off the once pothole plagued Southfield Freeway. One by one they turned up. A happy group had gathered but my friend Boris was late. I wondered if he was going to show. The ardent Schumacher fan did arrive and I could tell that relaxed life in the US had already helped him loose his once meticulous time keeping. "It was work" he commented. In order to impress me or was it just to shut me up? He slid his car keys toward me along the highly polished bar counter. "Are you serious?" I remarked. I didn't waste a minute going to the parking area to see what lay in wait.

There it was basking in the evening sunshine. A crystal white Ford Mustang GT convertible. I could not believe it. It was a 2000 model year version. This is a car that has been a legend for almost thirty years. I approached it with anticipation. From each corner of the rear protruded two 2-inch exhaust pipes. Recently restyled the car looked brilliant. The white soft-top holds some of the classic styling lines of Mustangs from a bygone era. The modern Mustang still holds the intrigue for me that the original car did. Moulded bumpers front and rear make the modern car more rounded. The muscular wheel arches try to hide the 17" X 8" five-spoke alloy wheels, which are fitted with 245 X 45ZR low profile performance tyres. From the front the long bonnet slopes gently back to the heavily raked windscreen. The famous running Mustang badge still takes centre place in the front grille. The headlamps are aerodynamically designed with integrated side repeat indicators that wrap gently into the side of the car. Side skirts run gently along the sills of the car as part of the aerodynamic enhancements. New light clusters also adorn the rear. Boldly inscribed in 2 inch high letters on the rear bumper are the words Mustang GT.

Opening the long front door, which I might add is void of any type of upper frame, you are greeted with a leather-clad interior. In this instance white leather. Now I know what you are thinking (yuch), but believe me it looked really smart (good taste Boris). Sitting on the leather sport seat behind the wheel is a pleasant experience. The driving position is excellent. The dials are grey with red needles but are nicely illuminated in a green glow. As a driver you are cocooned in a driving environment where every switch and dial is close to hand. Clever use is made of the door trim that incorporates the controls for electric windows, central locking and electric door mirrors. Above all this car has a stick shift. I'm sure this is a rarity in the US but essential to get the most out of any car.

Gripping the leather sports wheel it was time to put the key in the ignition and fire up this thoroughbred. As it fired up I could feel a smile breaking out. Dipping the throttle the smile turned to laughter. This engine was a joy. What a sound. It was enough to make what is left of my hair stand on end. The 4.6-litre V8 single overhead cam engine produces 260bhp. It is also blessed with high lift, long-duration cams, big valves and wide intake ports. This is enough to produce 302lbs.ft of torque at 4000rpm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a five speed manual transmission and kept in shape with traction control. A lot of work has gone into the suspension also. The front has MacPherson struts with nitrogen gas assisted shocks and tubular anti-roll bar. To the rear there is a 4-bar link coil suspension system again with gas filled shocks and uprated horizontally mounted axle dampers.

All that was left to do was to hit the road. Traction Control switched off I eased into first gear, foot hard on the gas. Two thick black trails of rubber through the car park (sorry Boris). I got onto the freeway eventually. Gone were the potholes. It was now a tempting strip of new concrete road. The GT just chewed it up. The acceleration was amazing. I must admit to pushing the speed limit but I cannot reveal by how much but it was irresistible. Torque is what is most appealing in this car. At low rpms this car loves to pull. Without Traction Control it is so easy to get the tail out and put together some good power slides. This is a muscle car but it is also a fun car. It is easy to drive and rewards the driver every time. Feedback through the power steering is exceptional.

I was also amazed by it's cornering capabilities. I always imagined the Mustang to be a straight-line racer but I was wrong. I returned to the carpark but could not refrain from doing a couple of doughnuts on the fresh, smooth asphalt surface. Unfortunately all good things come to an end. It was time to hand over the keys.

One thing was sure; the experience in the GT was enough to keep me in the bar for the rest of the evening toasting this motoring legend. (I bet you did Murph! - Ed)

If you have any comments for Murph then email him direct: [email protected]

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