2015 Ford Mustang Fastback 5.0 V8 first drive

The new Ford Mustang, which we’re driving here in Europe for the first time. Sometimes, you understand what a car will be like before you drive it. The new Mustang is one of those. 

Yes, it’s new, yes it has independent rear suspension for the first time on a Mustang and yes, because it’s a global car that’ll also be made in right-hand drive, it has been tweaked and tuned all over the world to make it a better vehicle - one to suit all tastes. 

But still, it’s a 5.0-litre V8 coupé with 2+2 seating, rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential, and the whole caboodle was envisioned primarily in the US. It’s going to drive in a certain way, right? 

Right. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, you understand. What was once crude American muscle is actually rather tidy these days. The previous-generation Mustang was a likeable thing and the latest Chevrolet Camaro, perhaps because much of it was designed by Holden, feels a great deal more sophisticated than it once would have.

I’m expecting the new Mustang to feel more sophisticated than those, but with that inherent muscly character still bulging through. And that’s how it turns out. 

Slip into the Mustang and you’re greeted by a wide tunnel, accommodating seats, some obviously plastic surfaces and some plastics pretending to be metal. A few soft surfaces abound, too, but as always, if you’re expecting the same as Europe’s best, you’ll come away disappointed.

This, though, should not be a surprise. When it goes on sale in October, a V8 Mustang is going to cost £32,995 in the UK. Which is conspicuously cheap for a 5.0-litre, 415bhp coupé. 

As with the latest Camaro and the Vauxhall VXR8, though, there are only hints at that sort of potency when you fire up the engine. Unlike, say, a Mercedes-AMG or a Jaguar F-Type, which fairly erupt when you thumb the starter, the Mustang emits a relatively muted woofle.

First surprise, though: although the clutch is as positive and weighty as you’d expect, the gearshift is extremely slick. Not light, but short of throw, brilliantly positive and utterly notch-free. The engine pick-up is smooth, and you’re rolling.

Other control weights and actions are mostly as expected: throttle response is leisurely at low revs, the brakes are positive and strong. All UK cars get what’s called a GT Performance Pack as standard, which includes six-piston Brembo front brake calipers, as well as 19in rather than 18in wheels, superior cooling and suspension that has been retuned from standard US cars. 

The suspension settings offered in the pack, though, have changed a bit since we first drove the new Mustang. Then, the low-speed ride was reportedly far too choppy. Now it’s more compliant, albeit still firm over poor urban surfaces.

But the rub is that the Mustang is a 1720kg car. Unless you use adaptive dampers (and they have their drawbacks), to a certain extent you have to compromise, either allowing more compliance or tightening the body control. I reckon the balance is about where the Mustang ought to be.