The new Mustang is our best ever, based on more than 50 years as one of the iconic sports car in America and now, the world.—Joe Hinrichs, Ford
“The new Mustang is our best ever, based on more than 50 years as one of the iconic sports car in America and now, the world,” Joe Hinrichs, president of The Americas, said. “Tapping Mustang’s enormous fan base, we’re bringing the new Mustang straight to the people—and introducing the new car across multiple social media channels, reaching millions.”
From the pillars forward the Mustang exterior features a lower, sleeker hood and revised front grilles, and new LED front lights—including low beams, turn signals, projector high beams, signature lighting and available fog lamps—across all models. Likewise the rear taillights are revised LED units, which, along with a new bumper, fascia and optional wing, set the 2018 apart from its predecessor.
Fresh styling is great, but those reading this page want to know about the changes that will give the latest pony a faster pace. As expected, Ford is being coy about the upgrades and the updated specs. You can expect those to trickle out leading up to the 2018 Mustang hitting dealer lots this fall.
It seems as though the V-6 is a thing of the past and the 2.3-liter EcoBoost is getting a bump in performance courtesy of a Mustang-specific calibration of is Overboost feature, which allows for momentary increases in power to enhance foot-to-the-floor acceleration.
The real revelation under the swoopy new hood is a third-gen Coyote 5.0-liter engine upgraded for higher rpm and better fuel economy. The hardware changes aren’t fully known yet, but the major upgrade is its fuel system. The latest 5.0-liter engine is the first Mustang V8 to be fed by Ford’s dual-fuel system, which combines both direct injection and port injection to feed higher horsepower levels.
Behind both engine options are some significant transmission upgrades. As has been long rumored, the 2018 Mustang receives the highly anticipated 10-speed automatic transmission. It is said to offer a wide gear ratio span and gear spacing designed to transmit higher average horsepower for better acceleration.
According to Ford, the new auto offers quicker shifts and better low-speed response than the six-speed automatic it supplants. Moreover, its electronic control system includes calibrations for each drive mode and offers “real-time adaptive shift scheduling,” is said to choose the right gear for situation. Drivers can control the auto via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
Ford didn’t forget those of us that still love to bang through the gears ourselves. The manual transmissions behind both engines were redesigned to handle more torque and offer better clutch actuation thanks to the addition of twin-disc clutches and dual-mass flywheels.
To handle all the increased performance Ford engineers worked over the suspension on all Mustangs with new dampers, a new sway bar design and a cross-axis ball joint on the rear suspension. For those who want some electronic assistance, Magneride, which debuted on the Shelby GT350, has now trickled down as part of the Mustang Performance Package.
Inside the 2018 Mustang gains a new Mustang badge on the dash, but the real upgrade is digital. Ford wasn’t kidding when it announced the Ford GT’s new digital dash and hinted that the technology would arrive in other Fords. That democratization of technology happens quickly in the forthcoming Mustang, which receives Ford’s first 12-inch digital LCD screen in the dash.
Drivers can choose between three different views for Normal, Sport and Track driving modes and these settings along with drive settings for the steering and optional Magneride may be saved via the new Mustang MyMode memory settings.
Other Ford tech making its way to the Mustang for the first time is designed to keep drivers and passenger safer. The Pre-Collision Assist offers warnings to keep you at a safe distance from cars in traffic, that pedestrians are entering your path and when you are wandering out of your lane.
In all, it is easy to see why Ford has described the 2018 model as the “most advanced Mustang ever.”