Are and should we be excited about new, 2018 Ford Mustang?

Year 1964. America. American car maker, Ford, announces that they are releasing new model called "Mustang". And the world went crazy because of that. If you ask me, justifiably. You were able to buy a car with V8 engine that produced 271 HP and the car that that looked and still looks better than half of the new cars on planet today. To the man who was in charge on this project, Lee Iacocca, we gearheads can't thank enough for designing this car. People from all over the world are drooling when they see it and most of them are dreaming of owning one, including myself and all male population in my family. Ford achieved best selling result since they made Model T. Mustang went on huge approval from people in America and was it possible not to? I mean, just look at it.

But as the time passed, something became rotten in the land of Ford. As the time went on, Mustangs have been worse and worse. Lets remember the 1972 Mustang. It looked like the ugly duck whose face looked like its whole family were ran over by a 18-wheeler on the highway while they were trying to cross it. I know this sounds harsh, but if you just concentrate a little bit you will see the same thing.

After that generation new model was released and it was produced from 1979 to 1993. I will be harsh again and say that this model looked even worse than previous generation. Dicey body, dicey headlights,dicey interior... It was like you drove a huge dice with wheels. I don't have to mention you that power units for this generation were even more pathetic. They started from inline-four engines with 109 HP and the most powerful engine was 302 cubic-inch (4.9 liters) V8 with 140 HP.

The 1994 model looked more aggressive and it looked much better than any Mustang produced from 1972 to this year. The shape of the body change a little bit in relation to previous generation, but there were some similarities. In models that were produced 1994-1998 power units were still pathetic. Base models had 3.8 OHV V6 engine rated at 145 HP for 1994 and in 1995 base models had 150 HP. The strongest engine you could get had 4.6 liters SOHC V8 that was rated at 215 HP, but later it was increased to 225 HP.

In 1999 came redesign of this generation, which didn't looked bad at all, I have to admit. The body looked way  more aggressive and way more better before redesign. Standard 3.8 l V6 had a new split-port induction system and was rated at 219 HP, while the new Mustang GT's 4.6 l V8 saw an increase in output to 260 HP, due a new head design and other enhacements. In 2001, the 3.8 l was increased 193 HP. There were also three alternate models offered in this generation: the 2001 Bullit, the 2003 Mach 1, as well as the 320 HP 1999 and 2001, and 390 HP 2003 and 2004 Cobra.

After this, things started to get better, as for Ford, so as for us gearheads. Ford started to make Mustangs we expected from them. First example for that is 2005-2014 model. Ford finally realized that something smells really, really bad and that that smell repels customers from Mustang. They decided for much aggressive approach and they made model that holds second place in years of production and in number of sold units. Mustang finally became real "american muscle" car again and the power units contributed to that. For the 2005 to 2010 production years, the base model was powered by a 210 HP cast-iron block 4.0 l SOHC V6 while the GT used an aluminum block 4.6 L SOHC 3-valve Modular V8 with variable camshaft timing (VCT) that produced 300 HP


Engines were revised for 2011 and a new 3.72 l aluminum block V6 engine weighed 40 lb (18 kg) less than the previous version. With 24 valves and Twin Independed Variable Camshaft Timing (TiVCT), it produced 305 HP and 380 Nm of torque. The 3,7 l engine came with a new dual exhaust. GT models included a 32-valve 5.0 L engine, also referred to as the "Coyote", producing 412 HP. Brembo brakes are optional along with 19-inch wheels and performance tires.

And now we come to the point of this article. The newest Mustang model. It looks astonishing and and superb driveability. But it looks like the land of Ford became rotten once again and the Ford started to drag moves that only they understand. The 2014 model had newly developed 2.3 l Ecoboost 310 HP four-cylinder introduced to reach high tariff global markets like China, 3.7 l  300 HP V6, or 5.0 l Coyote 435 HP V8 with either a Getrag six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

And then Ford announced redesign of that model. With the more astonishing looks and unkown driveability because noone had a chance to drive it. It drops the current car's naturally aspirated 3.7 l V6 and leaves Ford's updated  pony car with only two engine choices: a turbocharged 2.3 l four-cylinder and a naturally aspirated 5.0 l Coyote V8 with 310 HP. I mean seriously? Two engine choices and one of them is 2.3 four-cylinder?? I prefer getting kicked right in the sack than driving 2.3 l four-cylinder Mustang. There is just no sense in making a Mustang with that engine nor driving one. It's just wrong.

On the paper this second engine doesn't seem to be bad but if we look in the past and the Mustang models Ford used to make we can't figure why would Ford put Ecoboost engine in one of the most iconic models in their history. Okay, we understand that they do it because of new laws for regulations of CO2 gases but we can't understand why other car makers, besides Ford, don't dare to make cars with V8,V10 or V12 engines that gives you goosebumps when you hear them. Besides Lamborghini there is only few car makers that dare to defy to fat, bold people that bring these laws and scream "Save the Earth", "Cars destroy Earth, we have to get rid of them", and in fact they do nothing useful. I doubt that one V8, V10 or V12 engine  will hurt that much mother Eearth by giving joy to us gearheads. I know this will sound odd to "regular" people but to us gearheads come as tying out hands and taking away our freedom.