First Drive - 2010 Mustang
Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 July 2010 19:18 Written by Christopher Ihara Wednesday, 17 December 2008 16:57
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In 2008 Ford hinted at the new face of the 2010 Mustang when they displayed the Giugiaro concept Mustang. While we were not overly enthusiastic about the concept car, the cues it revealed look stunning on the final product. With a more aggressive appearance up front, new interior improvements, and engine tweaks derived from the 2008 Bullitt Mustang, the new 2010 Mustang delivers performance all around.
On the outside a new power dome hood sprawls between the front fenders. We certainly hope that this is in preparation for the addition of the more powerful engine known internally as the “Hurricane” motor which should be in production within the next couple of years. The hood’s leading edge creates a “furrowed brow” appearance up front by partially covering the fog lamps. A new rear spoiler now incorporates an optional reverse camera, which is displayed either in the rear view mirror or in the navigation system on vehicles so equipped. In other changes, turn signals have been moved from the front bumpers and are now integrated with the headlights for a cleaner appearance.
In the rear of the car the corners are now beveled. New tail lights use integrated reverse lamps to provide a visual divider to create a modern version of the classic “tri-bar” look. The turn signals also sport another new feature: factory installed sequential turn signals that now use LED’s instead of incandescent bulbs.
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Another aerodynamic improvement was the addition of an under tray panel between the K-member and the front splitter. This reduced front end lift by approximately 23% for the GT and 35% for V6 cars. According to Tom Barnes, Mustang Vehicle Engineering Manager, “at higher speeds it keeps the car planted down on the ground, it gives you a confidence and a feeling that the steering is right there.” In the Mustang GT a 50% improvement in front to rear lift balance has been achieved. All the exterior design changes cumulatively yielded a 4-7% reduction in aerodynamic drag for the V6 and GT respectively.
During this redesign one of the areas Team Mustang aimed to improve was the car’s level of quietness. This was achieved through reduction in wind noise by reshaping the mirrors, moving the radio antenna to the rear of the car, placing the windshield washer fluid nozzles in the back of the power dome hood and reshaping the wipers themselves. Thicker glass and better sound deadening in the head liner and carpets also made significant contributions in this area. Despite these additions the 2010 Mustang’s curb weight only increases between 15-35 lbs. for the GT and V6 respectively. The GT swings the scale needle to 3,545 lbs, but the end result of this minor weight penalty is a dramatic difference in interior noise.
While nearly all the sheet metal surrounding the car has changed, the roof line remains identical to the previous 2005-2009 generation Mustang, known as the S197. This keeps the same profile that has become the Mustang’s hallmark. It also allows the beautiful glass roof (option code 59G), a $1,995 option, to continue to be ordered for the 2010 Mustang. A spoiler delete (option code 13D) is again available for those who like a little less exterior flare. Brilliant Silver Metalic, Black, Performance White and Torch Red color choices carry over from 2009. New for 2010 is Red Candy Metallic with Tinted clearcoat (option code PU6) which carries a $300 suggested retail, but is a spectacular color well worth the modest price. Also new for 2010 are Kona Blue Metallic, Sunset Gold Metallic and Sterling Grey Metallic. For those looking to get really nostalgic, Grabber Blue makes a return to the Mustang line for the first time in over 30 years.
An entirely new selection of wheels is now available and V6 models get 17 and 18-inch wheels as standard equipment while GTs get 18 and 19-inch wheels. All season Pirellis wrap most of the new wheels with the exception of the 19-inch wheels of the Track Pack which sports summer only rubber. Gone are the Torq Thrust-styled wheels which have been around since 2001 in one form or another.
Inside the 2010 Mustang has undergone fairly significant changes. The door skins have a new insert panel and running horse logo and the arm rests now mirror the profile of the center console which places the window controls within easy reach. Noticeably absent from the redesign is an updating of material quality in the door skin, whose hard plastic is unpleasant and cheap to the touch and this stands out even worse because the rest of the interior has been updated. Real aluminum trim panels now adorn the dash and the illuminated “MUSTANG” embossed scuff plate. Seat color choices available in both cloth and leather are Stone and Charcoal Black. Leather-trimmed seats can be had in Saddle, Brick Red with a Cashmere Accent stripe, and Charcoal Black with either a Grabber Blue or Cashmere Accent stripe.
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The center console’s arch starts high in the rear and slopes downward towards the front where it radiuses upwards at the center stack. The storage compartment is now lockable and the lid is now flush with the horizontal surface of the console. The center stack is recessed slightly and extends vertically where a tower of knobs and buttons is topped by either a simple text display or the navigation screen. Buttons for the radio and auxiliary sound inputs sport a more chiseled square look. Climate controls, radio volume, radio tuning knobs, and dividers between clusters of buttons are now trimmed with chrome accents. Traction control, hazard light switch, and info buttons move from the center of the front stack to the center console just to the left of the shifter. The round air vents once found in the center of the dashboard now change shape to a more traditional rectangular shape and are separated by the 12-volt power port. This provides more needed real estate for Ford’s second generation, optional navigation system.
The instrument cluster has been updated as well and the white-faced tachometer and speedometer gauges swap placement locations from the 2005-2009 models. A slight adjustment to the cluster’s font significantly improves readability. Other gauges between the tach and speedometer remain unchanged.
Technological upgrades abound as well. The Voice-activated Microsoft SYNC system has been added as standard equipment to the V6 and GT Mustangs ordered with Premium trim. SYNC allows control of both Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and nearly all portable digital media devices through spoken commands. An optional second-generation navigation system (option 58X “Electronic Package) with integrated SIRIUS Travel Link now sports an 8-inch touch screen. Travel Link provides real time weather, traffic alerts, fuel pricing, sports scores and movie listings. When paired with a properly equipped and paired Bluetooth cellular phone Ford SYNC now provides 911 assist in the case of airbag deployment.
Another technological addition to the 2010 Mustang is AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control which can be operated in three different modes: On, Sport and Off. In the “sport” mode the system is designed to let the car be pushed much harder before the digital nanny kicks in. In the off mode your fate is in your own hands.
For 2010 the engines in Mustang remain largely unchanged. The 4.0L V6 is a carry over from 2009 and produces 210 bhp and 240 lb.-ft of torque. The GT’s 4.6L SOHC 3-Valve V-8 remains dimensionally the same as its predecessors with a 3.55” (90.2mm) x 3.54” (90.0mm) bore and stroke displacing 4.6L (281 ci). Improvements derived from the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt have become standard production items for the Mustang GT. A new cold air induction system pulls cooler air in from the front of the car; however, unlike the Bullitt’s open element, conical filter design this system uses a completely closed filter housing. The intake tube between the filter box and throttle body is the least restrictive ever used on a Mustang and provides air that is 20 degrees cooler than under the hood. Mustang Vehicle Engineering Manager, Tom Barnes says, “I challenge any of them to have a lower loss system.” This bumps the GT’s horsepower up to 315 bhp and 325 lb./ft of torque on regular pump gas. When used with premium fuel the engine computer’s Bullitt-derived calibration fattens up the torque curve between 1,500 and 3,500 RPM; however, peak numbers do not change. Redline is also increased from 6,250 RPM to 6,500 RPM on the GT.
All transmissions used in the 2010 Mustang are 5-speed and can be had in either automatic or manual. Ratios for the Tremec 3650 5-speed manual transmission carry over from previous years. Fuel economy is about what you’d expect from a Mustang GT with an estimated rating of 16 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway.
One of the things that makes the Mustang unique when compared to any other model is the level of customization that the owners apply. To cover some of the most common customizations, Ford offers factory installed options. The “Track Pack” provides several improvements over the stock Mustang GT, and includes: a rear gear change from 3.31 or 3.55 to 3.73, SVT Shelby GT500 front and rear anti-sway bars and rear lower control arms, unique valved shocks and struts, 19-inch wheels with summer only Pirelli 245/45R19 98W tires, upgraded front and rear brake pads and a more aggressive “sport” mode on the ASC. The Traction-Lok rear also gets an upgrade to the GT500’s carbon fiber clutch plates that are designed to put up with additional abuse. A strut tower brace is also included with any 19-inch equipped car, including the Track Pack. If you’re a performance enthusiast consider The Track Pack as a must-have option.
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We were fortunate enough to get a chance to take the wheel of a Track Pack equipped 2010 Mustang and take it through the hills around Los Angeles, California. Despite stiffer springs and shocks the Track Pack provides a surprisingly comfortable ride. Turn in is crisp thanks to grippy 19-inch Pirelli tires and according to Team Mustang their tenacious grip generates a .93 G skid pad rating. We have no doubt about their claims since our make-shift measuring equipment recorded .89 G as our co-driver shuffled up through the twisties. While these are by no means scientific measurements we’re still confident enough to say that the numbers our equipment puts up are very close. Body roll was also markedly absent thanks to the GT500 anti-sway bars. Even when pushing the car very hard through the dusty corners of the canyons and hills we found understeer to be minimal. The Track Pack’s revised pad compound for the brakes were competent and fade-free, even with hard use from ridiculously high speeds on the straights and miles of constant pounding before corner entry.
We also recorded a 0 to 60 acceleration times of 5.54 seconds but, keep in mind that was done on an empty road with two people in the car and a bunch of camera gear in the trunk. Thus the surface was not ideal and the curb weight was probably around 3,850 pounds. 60-foot time from our only test run was 2.45 seconds so there was a LOT of wheel spin out of the hole thanks no doubt to a dusty road surface. 1/8 mile time was 9.25 @ 74.2 before we ran out of road. Expect much better 0 to 60 on a properly prepared surface and with only a driver in the car.
Steering is precise and the car goes exactly where you point it, however, the lack of a speed sensitive power assist makes the wheel feel a bit numb. Shifts are equally precise, although here again some work is needed as gear changes are not as crisp as we’d like. The seats are well bolstered and do a fairly good job of holding you in place during hard cornering. Throttle response is excellent and the GT’s power is willing and able across the rev band. As mentioned earlier interior noise levels have dropped dramatically with only a hint of wind noise now, leaving the growl of the exhaust as the star of the stage.
Most controls are well placed; however, the new climate control system has identical knobs to the radio. This means that a bit of familiarization is required to operate it, lest you crank the radio to 11 instead of turning the heat up. We also found the method of selecting the auxiliary input to be somewhat cumbersome as the buttons are split between the main row of radio controls and the tuning knob below. This requires that you move your hand up and down the stack to perform some of the functions necessary to select playlists, songs, or titles from an iPod.
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We were thoroughly impressed with the 2010 Mustang. The new more aggressive look is well suited for the car and its performance. The new color offerings are impressive and deciding what color to get is now an agonizing decision. Performance is good, although we are hoping that the addition of the new “Hurricane” engine will bring the car to levels that will make it competitive with the new Camaro and Challenger. It is good to see Ford taking cues from the enthusiast market and adding factory cold air and rear gear packages. To that end the track pack is a must-have option for any enthusiast and provides excellent handling and braking above and beyond the car’s already capable prowess. Since dealers are scrambling for anyone to visit their showroom these days, if you haven’t yet retired your current steed and made the leap to the new body style this may be the perfect time to do it. You might just score a great deal on what is already a performance bargain.
