Motoring June 12, 2020
big banger
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ince its inception there’s been a dominant view that the only way to enjoy a Mustang is to get one with a V8 under the hood. But, a quiet counter-culture of enthusiasts opening their eyes to less cylinders is growing. Neither of these ’Stangs is quite your standard, straight-off-the-shelf fare. Ford’s quintessential muscle car got a significant mid-life refresh two years ago, which makes right now the perfect time to breathe life into the line and release some new go-faster models. In the four corner we have the EcoBoost High Performance [pictured in orange]; supplementing an already quietly capable
turbocharged 2.3-litre powertrain with an extra 12kW boost, and adding some new 19-inch shoes wrapped in bespoke Pirelli P-Zero Corsa4s, a retro-tastic egg-crate grille, a 3.55:1 limited-slip diff, among other tweaks. The GT’s eight, meanwhile, is mostly untouched in Ford’s new RTR Series 1 package. Instead it focuses much more on the visual; adding in RTR’s signature demon-eyed LED grille and a gawking body-kit primed to instill fear into the eyes of kerbs, speed bumps, and ankles. And of course, there are numerous RTR and Ford Performance power upgrades one can sprinkle onto a GT should they want to join the 400kW club. In its own way, each upgrade represents
solid value. At $65,990 the High Performance is just a $3000 premium over standard, while the $89,990 RTR is $7000 more than an ordinary GT. Impressively similar straight-line performance, similarly finished cabins, and an equal amount of turned heads. It’s enough to think that, maybe, there’s no real comparison to make. They’re the same car, only one’s gifted with the silky deep voice. But, take them onto a challenging piece of road, and they’re totally different. The RTR serves up a familiar mix of surprisingly smooth ride, visceral 5.0-litre roar, and charming simplistic rear-driven underpinnings, conjuring nostalgia for many still hurting over the death of the Aussie muscle
cars that we worshipped for generations. The significant weight of the GT (and its engine) will make those pining for oldschool thrills grin from ear to ear. But with the EcoBoost there’s a much better grasp on the more modest power figure. In fact, the four-cylinder has a much better grasp on everything. All that engine-related weight loss (almost 100kg) is taken away from the front end, transforming it into one of the sports car world’s best-kept secrets. The amount of mechanical grip and front-end composure is impressive in isolation, and just straight eye-opening when compared to the GT. In short, the EcoBoost is a better sports car. And the GT is a better Mustang.