With the 2015 Mustang, Ford has launched a global offensive on sports car brands from every region. No longer will the Mustang be confined to North America, but instead it will be allowed to trample freely on almost every continent (we’re not sure what’s going on with Africa or Antarctica though). That means no longer can the Mustang merely compete with domestic competitors like the Camaro, but must instead evolve to counter sports cars, taking on more worldly rivals.
Ford Authority reports that the Mustang’s chief engineer, Frank Davis, said that one of the primary goals of the new pony car was to have “world-class” handling. To that end, Ford added some long-sought features, like the independent rear suspension, but also bench-marked the Mustang against rivals from outside the U.S.; namely, BMW and Porsche.
Both German brands are noted for their tight-handling performance cars, and the BMW M3 has long been the measuring stick by which other brands measure their cars. In developing the 2012-13 BOSS 302 Mustang, Ford ran its track Mustang up against the Bimmer, which seems to back rumors that the new Mustang GT will be at least as potent as the outgoing BOSS if not better.
Ford also went after another big name in sports cars, the Porsche 911, which has long been a track favorite among the well-heeled. The all-new MacPherson trust system on the front end of the Mustang no doubt helped it keep pace with the two German brands, and it’s a good thing because Ford will be facing stiff import duties on the Mustang, driving the price upward in markets on other continents.
With a higher price comes higher expectations, and those who were worried that the Mustang going global would dilute the muscle car are surely eating their words now. This may be the best thing to ever happen to the Mustang.